Category: Quotable

Be careful what you wish for

Business excellence notes on flipcharts
Some of my 19 Business Excellence architectural blueprints. The fact that you can’t discern the recipe is intentional. You must be there in person for these messages to make perfect sense.

Optimize your work.

dad

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People hate this stimulation

Emerson quote
A path diverged into two. i took the less traveled. Hand wrote this college note in 1981.

In the beginning, hone your ability to be unencumbered from other’s judgement. Transformation stimulates discomfort and is at odds with the comfort of conformity. Humans hate discomfort and use judgement of others to discourage their own discomfort.

dad

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Begin with the first small step

The Loop Hike descent
McDonald Creek ends its journey at Lake McDonald, over the mountains.

Having the information we need to be an effective leader is rarely the issue. This issue, almost exclusively, is in our application.

dad

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Visionless lives

Lake McDonald fire 2017
Lake McDonald fire 2017, the Sprague fire, from inside our room at The Village Inn at the foot of Lake McDonald. The fire and Lake McDonald Lodge are 10 miles away at the North end.
Lake McDonald fire 2017, from the room.
Lake McDonald fire 2017. Photo taken from my bed.

Vision and vision statement are two distinct entities. The distinct difference is insidiously forgotten by most organizations.

dad

From in-the-field research inside 2,000 organizations, i can tell you that only one organization’s people (at all levels) could correctly and simultaneously answer this question when asked during a presentation: What is your Company’s vision statement?

If you don’t know the vision statement, how can you articulate a vision that tiers up to your founding ideals?

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Forgetting is expected

Disney Keynote Speaker
GNP. Sprague Fire from a motorboat. Amazing how relaxed we are. College buddy Howard. There was legit concern that the smoke would completely block our navigational view. But rather than rush 10 miles south to safety, we relaxed.
Lake McDonald 2017
Lake McDonald marina. Lake McDonald Lodge behind the trees. Weird how clear this photo is.

Who can recite your company’s vision statement from memory? (awkward pause) So why bother having a vision statement?

dad

My vision statement is so simple that other’s know mine even though they have none for themselves.

dad

Originally saw Stephen Covey speak and he said his personal vision statement was five words. He never shared them. Returning from his seminar, i was motivated to do less than five words. Created a one-word vision statement, servant.

Further reflection revealed the need for a second word, humble.

Human temptation is to serve in order to receive. What if we did everything without expectation?

Humble servant is a two-word vision statement and a 467-word reduction from my original effort.

When i read the 469-word vision statement (magnetically framed on the refrigerator) i would be so inspired.

The harsh reality is that i could go years and not read it.

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This website is about our WORK. To ponder today’s post about our HQ, click here.

If you want to stay on this site and read more posts from this Blog, click here.