The Official Web Site of Stephen Willand ...
"I and several other students would like to express our desire for Dr. Stephen Willand, if he is available, to instruct our Capstone course. He is one of, if not the best, in our minds, instructors at the college. He is well versed on all subjects, engaging and an extremely effective communicator. He is not afraid to step out of the box and apply the subject matter to real world situations.
Ther esults being a better understanding of textbook concepts, just discussed in
a vacuum."
Robert T.
Worcester State student
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G.A.S; AND WHY WE NEED IT
We are living in a time when the high price of gas at the fuel pump is creating a national debate on a far reaching scale from big oil company profits, foreign oil dependency and the need for alternative non-fossil fuel and renewable energy sources. In my never ending attempt to use acronyms for memory purposes however, G.A.S. now has taken on a different meaning. Incidentally, I have found that the use of acronyms has proven to be a successful way of having students remember important concepts. I have previously used I.O.U. to remind my classes that they owe their audience the debt of being Impartial, Objective and Unbiased and to avoid prejudicial or extreme arguments as a means of establishing and maintaining credibility. I have also used H.I.T to inspire students always to have Honesty, Integrity and Truth in all that they do in life.
For our purposes here G.A.S. refers to the equally important need always to be Genuine, Authentic and Sincere. These are marvelous traits and characterize the nicest, kindest and most respected people that I ever had the pleasure of knowing. When I think back on all of the people that I have known in my life, I am instinctively drawn to fond memories of those people that are truly Genuine, Authentic and Sincere. They are among the people that I consider fortunate to know and whom I consider to be a blessing in my life. They also easily begin to be associated with terms such as role model, mentor, hero, teacher and people that I want to emulate. Genuine, Authentic and Sincere people are also very easy to like and tend to be the ones with whom I want to associate. I have tried to explain this to many of my classes and determine why it is so important.
The first thing that I have tried to explain is why today it is so very important to identify and work with Genuine, Authentic and Sincere individuals. The answer seems simplistic and obvious. Do we not live in a world where many people are quite the opposite of Genuine and engage in a mind-boggling array of unethical behavior almost always based on false premises or false promises? How many people do you know that are not authentic, not “the real deal” or not what they pretend to be? How many of them can or have forged ahead on these not so real foundations? Do we not live in a world of insincerity where it is easier to lie, cheat, mislead,decive or otherwise be insincere all in the name of fame and fortune? The odds are that you answered most, if not all, of these rhetorical questions in the affirmative and have underscored the need to address them.
My handy Webster’s New World Dictionary defines Genuine with the phrase “really being what it is said to be…not counterfeit or artificial; real; true; authentic…sincere and frank; honest and forthright.” Wow. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if we could surround ourselves with those types of people that exhibit those kinds of characteristics? Just imagine; no hidden agendas, no double meanings, no second guessing, and no wondering what the person actually meant. I continually strive to maintain those qualities in my personal and professional lives and to instill them in all my classes for all the students that I have the pleasure of working with. Again, in the classes dealing with communication, both verbal and written, I have worked hard to be have them perceived as Genuine so that the reader and audience will respond in an equally genuine manner.
Back to Webster’s for the definition of Authentic to find the most curious entry. Here we find authentic as describing something “that can be believed or accepted; trustworthy; reliable [an authentic news report].” Let’s forget the fact that the editors of this fine dictionary may have used an oxymoron (authentic news report) to define the term and continue with the definition; “authentic implies reliability and trustworthiness…” Again, these traits are stressed in all of the classes that I am fortunate to be conducting. Students as they pursue their careers are going to be confronted with people and situations that are not reliable or trustworthy. From false and misleading advertising, promise breaking people in positions of authority, and people and products that cannot be trusted, we will all need to confront and overcome these traits and exhibit the higher and stronger trait of being Authentic.
Finally, we have arrived at Sincere, which Mr. Webster’s new editors have defined as being; “without deceit, pretense or hypocrisy; truthful; straightforward; honest….an adherence to the simple, unembellished truth.” We are once again faced with a Jeffersonian type of self-evident truth; People that are seen as Sincere, and who are truly sincere, will go far in life and do better than their insincere contemporaries who will sacrifice long term success and happiness for short term financial or social gain. People crave approval; if it is sincere, they want appreciation; if it is sincere, they need to be respected; if it is sincere, people need to be loved; if that love is sincere. There are many keys to a successful life and an equal number for happiness. I think that there are none more important than to be GENUINE, AUTHENTIC, and SINCERE
