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The technological advantages of the past two decades have provided us with the instantaneous availability of information. Instantaneous information may also create an expectation that everything else should happen just as quickly as the receipt of information.

There are few areas where this is more obvious than in our expectations regarding growth, either personally or organizationally.

We are understandably enamored by get rich quick stories and instant results. Many of these stories are actually animated by a transformational idea which is implemented over time. The process of implementation is incremental. You may have heard it said, “She is an overnight success, 25 years in the making.”

We believe that all sustainable growth is incremental. By applying small, intentional changes, consistently over time, desirable results will be achieved. In Andy Stanley’s, The Principle of the Path, he says, “Direction – not intention – determines our destination.” Many of us have heard of the example of a plane’s cross country trek. By moving the nose of a plane a few feet before take-off in Los Angeles, it will end up in Washington, D.C., instead of its original destination of New York City.

It can be frustrating when we don’t see results right away. Worthwhile change requires discipline, intentionality, grit, and perseverance. Remember the tortoise and the hare?

What incremental change are you going to make today that will have a significant, positive impact on you personally and organizationally?

When your team has had a challenging or even winless season, it is not uncommon to hear, “It builds character.” Does it? Can losing one more close game somehow transform my inner self, my very being, to now be better?

Character has multiple definitions and has been the focus of many quotes and inspirational slogans. Plutarch, an ancient Greek writer, concisely said, “Character is simply habit long continued.” More recently, Stephen Covey expanded that concept saying, “Our character is basically a composite of our habits. Because they are consistent, often unconscious patterns, they constantly, daily, express our character.”

A common thread of most character definitions is a repetitive, usually predictable template of behavior. But it goes deeper than just our outward actions. Our North Group Values include, “Being comes before doing,” and one of the ways we endeavor to do this is by “Building Character.”

Our individual character is the culmination of the choices we make in response to the experiences we have. So, each of us have a choice to learn from our daily experiences and circumstances (such as a disappointing loss), to build our character, or not. Three such components of our character include:

  • Integrity –being the same person in victory or defeat; being honest, trustworthy; doing what you say you’re going to do
  • Humility – being teachable, accountable, and unoffendable
  • Intentionality – being thoughtful, purposeful, focused and persistent

Coach John Wooden captured the essence of “being before doing” when he said, “Be more concerned with your character [being] than your reputation [perception of your actions, doing], because your character is what you really are, while your reputation is merely what others think you are.”

How much is it going to cost your organization to retain your best employee? What if you were told possibly nothing (in actual dollars)? Contrary to popular opinion, financial rewards are a satisfier, but not a driver. As a leader, you must provide compensation to allow employees to feel a sense of worth for the work they do (a satisfier). To drive performance and encourage them to do what is best for the organization, you will need to determine incentives (drivers).

In The Advantage, Patrick Lencioni describes gratitude, recognition, increased responsibilities and other forms of genuine appreciation as drivers. In fact, personal feedback is the simplest, most effective, and many times, the most appreciated form of motivation and recognition.

It is the leadership team’s responsibility to ensure that compensation is appropriate and fair. It is also their responsibility to know their team members and implement fair and consistent rewards that encourage and motivate employees to remain on track and focused on what is most important for them to accomplish right now.

In a previous blog, the importance of clarity in expectations and responsibilities was discussed. This same principle holds true for defining rewards and recognition. When a team member receives a raise, bonus, or recognition, it is essential that they understand they are being rewarded for their behavior or performance in support of the organization’s core values, strategic anchors or thematic goals. Personal communication goes a long way in linking performance to recognition and rewards.

So, who will you recognize and genuinely appreciate today?

Have you ever had someone say to you, “Oh, I thought you were going to do that”? Unfortunately, it is not an uncommon statement, whether it be at home, school, or work.

The past five blogs have each addressed one of the “Six Critical Questions” Patrick Lencioni explores in his book, The Advantage. If the process is followed, the team will have spent valuable time defining their purpose, values, products and services, strategic anchors, and the urgent items that must be done now. All of this will be for naught if it is not clear, “Who must do what?”

In many businesses, the organizational chart may seem like an adequate description of the functional responsibilities of the leader of a particular division or department. But, as most of us have seen, there may be overlap of some responsibilities and two members of the team may assume they will be doing the task/work/project that has just been described (or worse, one assumes the “other guy” was going to do it).

This lack of clarity and accountability leads to inefficiencies, frustrations, and a breakdown of trust and communication. It is imperative for the Leadership Team to clearly define the expectations and accountability for “Who must do what?”

Many times, it will also be reasonable to add a second accountability of “By when?”, so everyone is clear on the expectations of timeframe and their responsibilities.

In your business, organization, church, home, or school, “Who must do what, by when?”