Most people talk about winning as a result but winning is far more than a moment of victory. Winning is a process and the result of a team or individual committing to embrace the grind. Many people enter into an endeavor looking for a positive result and quickly discover that the cost of winning may be their
When we set out to do something, we look for reasons to do it. Those reasons are determined by our heart. When we are committed to something, and I mean really in it to win it, we look for reasons to keep going so that we can win. When we lack commitment we will look for the
Sprints are the most exciting races to watch and it’s mostly because they are over in ten seconds. Most races are not a sprint. Most races take all day. Figuratively, whatever endeavor a team takes on will most likely not be over in ten seconds. Teams must pace themselves and plan for the long run. Is that
How can you trust new people? Think back to the first moment you were trusted to join a team. You were new. You were given responsibility you shouldn’t have been trusted with by some measures. However you were trustworthy and after doing your job, you proved that trust was not misplaced. Don’t find reasons to exclude others
We always find reasons to exclude people because some of the darkest parts of human nature seek to define us versus them. This allows us to create a sense of safety by closing the acceptable circle of people we trust. This is ordinary and not great because small circles of trust never lead to greatness. Teams that
Great teams judge in a great way. This means teammates are judged on the merit of their actions and not on non-sensical differences that may separate them from the team in some way. Every organization has a choice to see people as people or to see them as outsiders. When we see people as genders or foreigners
In the state that I live in, we have to get a safety check for our cars before we can renew the registration. I have to admit, this annoying and inconvenient requirement is effective because there are a lot less cars on the side of the road compared to states that do not require a safety check
Too often the efforts of some of the best teammates anyone will ever have are like the WiFi signal. The benefit is often taken for granted when it works correctly but once it lapses, everyone loses their mind. People treat a WiFi signal as if it should be automatically available like the air we breathe. But like
Great teams know that it’s important to never take great teammates for granted. It seems ironic that reliability is a rare trait but when we find it in an individual we often believe it’s our right to rely on it. This may be due to the principal of “out of sight out of mind.” Since what the
Excellence is not about the one time pleasant surprise. It’s about the expected standard being met over and over again and then eventually exceeded. Excellence is about the trajectory of a standard. Are things in a position to continue to improve? Too often a perfectionist will demand cosmetic adjustments to appear to meet a standard once, but