Even the Lone Ranger had Tonto

A quick thought today….

Superheroes have sidekicks that are as important and well known as they are. They are sometimes sounding boards, sometimes saviors and sometimes they need to be saved. But to be sure the superhero of the story would not be the same, and worse off, without them.

Do we treat the people we work with as though they are just as valuable?

If you are the hero of your day (and you are), take a moment and thank your team that supports you and makes you better. And remembers the rules of thanks and praise:

1. Be timely: go out and give them the feedback right at the moment they are doing something great
2. Be specific: the more specific the better. General and generic compliments get put into a general and generic bucket. We want better, we should give better.
3. Be excited: remember your attitude, voice, body language and emotions give out 92% of the messages people receive. Do not ignore your energy and attitude when you are thanking and praising your team
4. Be positive: Focus on the positives. Do not worry about coaching and correcting. Be positive and be done.

So remember, take a moment today and thank the “sidekicks” that make you the “hero”. They could be helping anyone be better, but they are helping us so we should thank them.

Take the easy way out

A word, or reminder, about improvements.

When we think improvements, we are almost always pulled toward the most complex, thorniest problem. And, not surprisingly, it is quite difficult to come up with a solution.

Instead I want to push you to think about the opposite of this approach. What is the quickest and easiest way I can do my work, or approach an issue? This may mean taking just the smallest, or first aspect of a major issue, even if it seems trivial. And instead of searching for a perfect solution, just ask yourself the following “what is the easiest way to get this done?”. And then start. By following the quick and easy formula you will unearth a lot more ideas, a lot more improvements and you will see things get going. Improvements and ideas are as much an action or a habit as it is a thing. By looking for quick and easy ideas you can build a lot of momentum towards success. Also, because they are small, and easily done by you and your team, you can get past internal resistance that accompanies so much change. When we look at a huge problem, we can feel overwhelmed with the enormity of the challenge. Quick and easy solutions allow us to get past that resistance and start doing. And once you start going, then you will see it is harder to stop than keep going.

A few of the basic rules for quick and easy improvements is

1) Internal: You should be able to do the improvement yourself (no need for outside help or approval – if you need that your idea is too complicated, it may be a good idea … but a different type of good idea)

2) Focus on ease: It should make your work easier. An improvement that will help you or your people do a task quicker and easier.

3) Quantity first: The goal is continual quantity – that will build quality. Because these are small and easy solutions to implement, their impact will be seen quickly and if they do not work they can be rolled back. Perfection should not be a goal.

4) Think small: Remember easy is the goal here – the smaller and faster the scope of solution the quicker and easier it will be

5) Purposeful Be aware of the improvements and what you are trying to do. Without this you are in trouble. Ann improvement without awareness of it or purpose is a formula for chaos. With awareness and purpose, you have a powerful tool in your hands.

So take a few moments today or tomorrow, and look for ways to make things easier. If you were to simply look with your team and find 5 quick and easy improvement every week or so it would take no time to see a huge impact on your work. “Taking the easy way out “ often implies a cop out. I just wanted to remind everyone that in the right context it can also be a great strategy for improvement.

Double Down

In blackjack it is called “doubling down”, in craps it is “pressing” or “maximizing odds”, but the simple gist is that the player has an opportunity to risk more chips to win more. The way this works out in the real world is that when the player has an advantage, they use these strategies to try to win the most that they can. This is considered basic strategy in the gaming world. But there is a valuable lesson for all of us to learn here.

There are moments in life where we have an advantage, usually when we are using the skills we know we are good at. The temptation is to not focus on these moments (because hey…we are good at it right?). And that action, that failure to look for when we can use our strengths best and more often, is the mistake. What the casino teaches us is that if we do not look to “press” these situations, we are literally leaving money on the table.

Take a moment and think about when you are really great. What moments do you shine? What are the skills that allow you to do that?

When you use these skills you are “doubling down”. And you have increased the odds of success, and a big payout. Think of these skills, and take a few moments later today and spend a half hour consciously trying to apply those skills to every situation. When you play to your strengths you are giving yourself the best chance of success, or “maximizing odds”. It is obvious statement, but I bet we all would be amazed at the amount of time we spend NOT playing where we are strongest.

So take a half-hour and “double down”, really focus on using your strengths actively and purposefully. I bet you will be amazed at the return. Good luck.