XThe Consequence of 90%

Don't give yourself excuses and you won't have any regrets

We've all heard coaches say give 110%. What the hell does that mean?

I'm not sure about 110%, but the consequences of only giving 90% can be real challenges to growing with change. Think back on a time when you gave 100%. I bet, regardless of the outcome, you were proud of yourself at the end of the day.

While personal pride is at stake when giving less than 100%, there's a second consequence called excuses. When you give 90% and the project fails you have an excuse. You can say if I had worked 10%
harder or done 10% more it would've been successful. This can keep you from recognizing the need for dramatic or systemic changes.

The secret, disempowering phrases I hear a lot are "We just have to do a better job of executing", "We just need to pay closer attention to these things", "We just need to communicate better". While these comments may be true and may help explain why things didn't work out they ultimately they don't really help you grow.

Stop giving less than 100% and you'll recognize the need for change a lot quicker.

The Power of the Third Party

Introduce a third party in a flattering way.

Have you ever tried to convince your significant other to change their dress style, mannerisms or annoying quirks?

If you have, you probably got burned and are a little wiser for it.

The truth is, we HATE to be corrected or rebuked. AND we hate it most from people we are closest to and we have a tendency to lash out in defense.

So how in the world do you get people to change? Enter the third party.

You may have seen a form of this technique in sales or speaker introductions. It starts with person A describing how credible/accomplished person B is and then when person B speaks, they are bestowed a tremendous level of respect. Suddenly, everything that comes out of their mouth is gospel and moving.

So the next time your wife asks you if you like the dress she chose, have her call a fashionista she respects and side step the whole debacle :)

12 Tips for a More Effective Work Life

1. 
   Set expectations and deadlines. If you write these down, it'll give your teammates structure, your supervisors confidence, and yourself enough time to get things done right.
2. Say No. Say no to ideas without enough support to move forward. Say no to customer requests that don't match your business capabilities or direction. Say no to false emergencies to remind people to plan ahead.
3. Make time. Your week should be divided into three sections: learning, teaching and doing. Make time throughout your week to exercise all three.
4. Delegate appropriately. Don't be afraid to give work back to a colleague or to request support from another department. As a team, you work best if everyone is doing their best at what they do best.
5. Under promise. No one but you knows how long something is really going to take. Don't promise everything as quickly as you know it can be done, give yourself plenty of flexibility.
6. Review each night- Take time to reflect on the day and refocus on what's really important.
7. Engage with groups- Not people in your organization, but people with a completely different focus/market. They will use tools in ways you haven't seen before and connect lots of dots for you.
8. Find mentors- Look for super mentors. People well beyond what you have and want with the experience to help you get there.
9. Read- Like mentors and groups, these can connect new ideas to old ones to make something beautiful
10. Put pride aside- Don't worry about who gets credit for ideas and work. If your sights are on a new level, those things won't matter.
11. Ask what’s really important- Number of people asking and authority of people asking can make the task seem more important than it is. Ideas tend to recycle themselves within groups. Don't let that derail you from the high-importance items.
12. Plan ahead- Real fire drills do happen, but more often than not, they are a result of procrastination and near-sightedness on behalf of management or ourselves. Don't let them become your day-to-day.