Don't-ing

So I was thinking on some of the gems my football coaches in high school used to tell us. I would like to share some of the all-time classics with everyone.

- “Line up in a circle”
- “Pair up in threes”
- “Gentlemen, allow me to iterate this for y’all”
- “We are gonna have an hour and a half practice…45 minutes on offense…45 minutes on defense…and 45 minutes on special teams”
- “Boys remember there are 5 ‘S’s of defensive football: Stance, Stalemate, Separate, ‘ccelerate and Tackle!”
- Player looking at a lake with the team””Sure is a lot of water out there right coach?” Coach: “yup, and that’s only on the top”

And yes… these are all true (you cannot make these things up).

But there was one comment that stood out that seemed meaningful. Especially as we are beginning the year and begin to move from thinking about goals and objectives to executing on these goals. During practice one coach used to tell us:

“Son, if you are going to make a mistake, make a mistake by doing instead of don’t-ing”

Grammar aside this one always struck a chord in me. It speaks to the power of being active. In trying to achieve any goal, big or small, you have to actively pursue that goal. And the active pursuit of a goal brings something into play that we all are concerned about. Failure. But what we should remember is that if something does not work out but we are actively trying to hit the objective – that is not failure – that is called trying or learning.

Frankly, if you try something and you see it won’t work and you say we cannot achieve the objective but that is learned from action and learning – that is not failure either that is called experience.

So the only thing to worry about is if you have an objective and you refuse to try to achieve it. That is the only failure, or as my coach used to call it “don’t-ing”.

A mistake from an action is much better than one from inaction – that is where learning and experience come from. Anything that we can actively do can make us better and grow and therefore we should not fear it or avoid it, but search it out and embrace it.

Intention and action are the fuel for our success and anything that comes from that we can make into something positive and something great. Even things that people may label with that word “failure”. So the only thing we have to avoid is being passive. If you have a choice and one involves taking action and one involves sitting back – I suggest we always look at the active step as our default choice. Yes there may be times where waiting back and not taking action makes sense but it should be the exception after thought (an action) and careful consideration because remember what the coach said:

“Son, if you are going to make a mistake, make a mistake by doing instead of don’t-ing”

That one made sense to me.

The best way to predict the future....

Now is the time of year when people want to make predictions about the future. And I am a huge proponent of that as well. Predicting the future is fun way to hone and check your thinking skills. Predictions also allows you to mentally prepare for the future by creating a picture of it so that when things begin to happen you have already started planning for it. Strategic planners call this effect “creating a memory of the future”. So as you see I am big fan of predicting the future as an exercise. But one point that is important to remember with predictions is that you may be dealing with things that are in our areas or spheres of interest we usually do not deal with things that are in our sphere of influence. Or said differently we may care about it but cannot do anything about it to impact the result.

So if you want to accurately predict the future think about the world we control. So when thinking about your predictions it is OK to look at who may win the Super Bowl or what may happen in the November elections but these are not items where will spend our energy because we have no influence. When thinking about 2010 I want you to think about what you can control and think about your predictions there. Abraham Lincoln said “the best way to predict the future is to make it” – and we should all take this advice to heart.

While we may care about many areas we should really focus our forward thinking on the areas that we can control and execute plans to make that future happen. It is very empowering to remind ourselves that we do control our futures in many ways and we should grab that ability and take advantage of it every day. So you and your team’s sphere of influence is take this time to make a bold and specific prediction in your mind, make sure you can control that prediction and spend the year making it happen. It is a great opportunity to focus on that which matters and that which you can do and drive your way to the future you want to see happen.

And our whole advantage comes from our focus and this gives us the ability to be the best in the world at what we do. So in looking forward to the year be focused on what you can control and then see that future you want and then go about making it – it really is the best way to predict the future.

Have a great weekend

Good Food Fast: a story of over-commitment

Wanted to share an observation that came up when I was with my daughter on Christmas day. We went down the street to the Waffle House – which is the only place opened and it was packed. So crowded that you would have to ask why they are the only restaurant open? And it has been this way for years. But the other thing you noticed is that Waffle House is committed to having their A team there for the big game. They know that they are the only game in town. But they do not lay back; instead they had everyone there to make sure they provided the best service and performance on a big day. They did what they do every day (which is also their motto) “Good Food Fast”.

The point that stood out is that they took their market position and what makes them special and different and OVER-committed to the idea. So much so that they have all hands on deck for what has to be the hardest day of the year to have the commitment from the staff. But everyone was there and in the same amazing mood that has become part of the experience of coming to the Waffle House. I am sure everyone has been to a waffle house – if you have not you should go to enjoy a simple concept executed extraordinarily well everyday 24/7 and if it has been a while go to see a company that over commits to their concept and culture every day. It is an object lesson every time I go.

I will remind you of the classic difference of commitment and involvement that we have shared with you before. Look at a breakfast plate of bacon and eggs; the chicken was involved but the pig … the pig was committed. We must remember that which we do best, and not just commit, but over-commit to the things that make us different and special to our customers. Your service to your people and customers, their experience, your systems and culture all must focus on the attributes that you can knock out of the park. We must remember that these are the key special attributes we bring to the table and must focus on them always. And that anyone can work but it takes special people to commit.

And remind our people that commitment works both ways. One, we must be as committed to them as we are asking them to be to us. And two, remind them that yes they have to commit to something special but part of what makes it special to us (and should be to them) is that they have chosen to commit. Their commitment makes us special as well.

I know there is nothing here we have not discussed before – it was just a thought that came to my head after a visit to a place that over-commits to the things that make them special. When we think about ourselves and our teams we should look at what makes us special and different and then do like Waffle House and over-commit to it every single day.

Happy holidays

The value of a good story

Think back to memories in your head. Are they facts and figures or do they tend to be images? My guess is that you have images and stories that you recall.

There is extraordinary power in these stories being imprinted in our mind. So think of an area you want someone to improve and then tell them a story. And you have two options here…

1) Think of a story that someone did something right demonstrating the specific behaviors you want them to exhibit
2) Paint a picture of what it would be like if they did these behaviors.

The key here is specifics. It is not “good customer service” it is “imagine the customer laughing on the way out joking with the cashiers”; it is not “be more efficient” it is “imagine it is 3 p.m. and you have nothing you have to do because you have completed those tasks and you go to your ‘want to do’ list and start cranking”. Better yet… have your people draw up these scenarios and read them to you.

These details put an image in our mind and make it seem real to us. It helps our people know where we want them to go. It is a picture of the goal they can put in their mind. And stories make it easier. A good scenario can imprint what some planners call “a memory of the future” in our mind that we can use to direct ourselves and our teams.

Take a few minutes this week and see if you can find a time to use stories and specifics to teach your people and see if that helps the story sink in.

The more scenarios of desired performance or stories with details of where we want everyone to be – the easier it will be for our people to see where they are going and for you to lead them. And that is of course what we all want to know.

If you try it out let me know and see if a good story can help your people move. I think you will see that it will.

Simple Things

A thought for the weekend.

We often overlook the simple leverage point in favor of a more complicated solution. Of course we need systems and norms to track process and progress. I am not saying we do not need those. But we often miss a simple step that can have a huge impact on these goals and outcomes. We should create a system where we check ourselves and what we are doing and make sure we do not miss the simple, the elegant that is sitting right in front of our face. Make a date on your calendar to review and check these items out on a regular basis. These small things can make huge differences.

For example, we think about customer service a great deal. It is hugely important we all know that. But how often do we focus on making sure we are smiling? Taking it one further how often do we focus to make sure that we ourselves are smiling let alone our team. But imagine the huge impact a simple smile on everyone’s face would make on our customers experience and even on their whole day. And ideas like this allow us to have the opportunity to model this behavior immediately and show our people “follow me”.

So want a customer service system that can start working immediately with no investment? Show everyone the power of a smile. We have these ideas that are around us and we often allow the complexity of what we are doing to get in the way of something that is simple that can work wonders.

Simple, Easy and Elegant. Make it a habit to look for the simple things that can create that leverage – it is worth it.

a secret ingredient

When we are looking at getting something done there is a step we always forget to detail. Frankly it is because it is not all that exciting when you look at it on the surface. But when you compare what you get when you include this special ingredient as to when you do not – then you can see the magic.

So what is the secret ingredient?

Follow Up.

As a concept “follow up” gets some discussion. But the key is the system we put in place to make sure it happens. This is the secret to excellence in execution – and it is not complicated in its idea but it is crucial in its importance and challenging in its discipline.

So here is a quick mental test
1. Rate yourself on follow up from 1 to 10 (1 is worse and 10 is best – and no one is a 10)
2. Think of 1 thing you can do next week to try to improve you follow up

So here is the crux of the idea – where do you put the result of step 2? Where do you put these ideas so you can check to see have you (or your team) completed a goal by the time you were targeting.

It is simple in its concept but very challenging in its implementation. Do you have a system? If so what are the types of items that fall through the cracks? If you do not have a system talk to anyone who you trust and see what they do – this little idea of “follow up” is the key to success.

Each step of improvement in follow up unleashes amazingly powerful forces on your teams. Accountability, productivity and innovation are all built on the foundation of following up and doing what we say we are going to do.

I have been working on how to improve my system for years – and on some days it even works well. But there are days when I struggle with it like everyone else.

But the key is to remember that focusing on improving on this one little idea, adding this one little ingredient to the mix can literally change EVERYTHING – and that is if anything an understatement.

This is not a revolutionary idea – but all of us often do not stop and think about the huge power that lies in this little idea of “follow up”.

It may not be the idea that changes the world for you but without follow up all that idea will ever be is just a thought.

Follow up is what makes thought, ideas and dreams into something real.

We would all take that in a heartbeat.

"Follow Me" Leadership

There was a series of essays done on military leadership. The series was made into a book called “Follow Me” - it is also the way I have heard several people sum up several elite unit’s and army’s leadership “school”.


What a wonderful point. Leadership is about inspiring action in others toward a goal. A huge part of that is behavioral. What better way to think about this, teach this and inspire this than model that behavior and turn to those who are looking to you and say … follow me.


We all want to feel like we are a part of a goal and destination. We all want to know that we are heading somewhere. And we all want to know that we have people in it with us that we can count on and be inspired by their actions.


So whether it is picking up things from the ground, smiling and greeting customers or finding ways to improve your own work we all have ideas and items we know are crucial to our success.


Take a moment and think about what some of these behaviors may be.


Put some time in your day when you are with you people and make sure you show them this behavior – and be proud of it.


Because what you are saying is this:


“What makes us work here isn’t just dependent on you, it isn’t just dependent on me. We are all in this together and I am willing to ‘walk the walk’ with you to make sure we do what we need to do to make our goals a reality. I am not just going to tell you, I will show you. I will do it with you. Here is what we need to do to get better every day. Follow me”


And they will.