Category: Blog

Pushing for improvement is a process, not an event. It involves adopting new habits AND abandoning old habits. The time-tested mantra of “Old habits die hard” has staying power because of its profound truth.

It really doesn’t matter if we are at the top, middle, or bottom of the organizational power structure, we can all affect improvement. And those changes toward improvement rarely come easily.

A common “dodge” is to claim that we don’t have the power — or enough power — to cause that improvement (which always involves changing something).

But each of us can do something. Even if it’s a little something. Even if it’s just us doing it. Whining about what we can’t do — or are not allowed to do — never causes improvement.

Getting better. Every day. On purpose.

And today is the best day to do it.

*If you’d like to read more of nc’s blatherings, go to nc’s Recursive Learning.

Early in my career I pretended to be an athletic coach. One of the events I attempted to coach was the high jump.

In the high jump (and the pole vault) there is what is called the “opening height.” That is the height at which the bar is initially set to start competition. Athletes must clear that opening height to remain in the competition. Those that don’t………………….put their warmups back on and head to the bus.

In organizational work, we also have opening heights. We call them “standards.”

A mistake that is made quite often is to think of the standards as THE GOAL. They are not! Achieving the standards is akin to clearing opening height — it is simply the starting point that keeps us in the competition.

EXCELLENCE is the goal. It is that ever-increasing height to which the bar is moved as we push ourselves, and each other, to betterness.

*If you’d like to read more of nc’s blatherings, go to nc’s Recursive Learning.

Birthdays are merely anniversaries of our arrival on this planet. That day may have been much-anticipated and dearly longed for. Maybe not. It might have gone just as expected and without complication. But then, perhaps not. It might have occurred with much fanfare and brouhaha. Or not.

Whatever the circumstances, that day launched an inevitable turning of the clock. And with it, some constant changes (yes, that seems a contradiction). Don’t believe it? Look at pictures of yourself over the years.

We have no control of the birthday clock. We do, however, have tremendous control over our GrowthDay clock. We can choose on this day, and every day, to get better and learn more. On purpose.

There’s recipe for making today a GrowthDay:

• Choosing – choosing to grow and learn gives the process meaning and order.
• Reflecting – taking glances in the rearview mirror helps us make sense of where we’ve been, what went right/wrong along the way, and what next needs our attention.
• Pressing – consequential growth does not occur when we’re “in neutral” or comfortable.
• Inquiring – asking Why? or How? or What if? or Could we? triggers the antecedent to learning-growth which is……………..curiosity.

Atrophy happens. It happens more and faster when we let it.

Happy GrowthDay! (Today, and every day.)

*If you’d like to read more of nc’s blatherings, go to nc’s Recursive Learning.

In most organizations, the end of summer marks a “new” beginning. Rather than January 1, the return of employees (or students) at the end of summer seems the de facto initiation of a work year.

The best leaders I know understand the power of HABIT, on themselves and on the organizations in which they work. In simplest term, HABITS are those things we repeat, again and again, until they occur mindlessly.

Wise leaders also know that talking about it doesn’t affect adoption of new habits, nor eliminate bad ones. Doing good habits is the only thing that gets it done.

Some habits worth considering:

• Focus daily on the vision and driving goals.
• Frame all meetings around the vision and driving goals.
• Allocate resources only to things that contribute to the vision and driving goals.
• Isolate and eliminate “stuff” not directly contributing to the vision and driving goals.
• Notice employee acts/decisions made in the interest of the vision and driving goals.
• Converse often and individually with team members about the vision and driving goals.

If we really want to achieve our Vision and Driving Goals……….they pretty much have to become HABITual foci.

*If you’d like to read more of nc’s blatherings, go to nc’s Recursive Learning.