There are many ways to do fine work. Some people focus on doing what they do best. They then aim to do their best, do brilliant work and become they best they can be.
Such people have an organic approach to growth. They aim to be genuine and build on who they are rather than who they are not. They build on their professional strengths, follow their principles and get positive results.
This an approach that can be followed by individuals, teams and organisations. They focus on being the best they can be in a particular activity rather than being the best.
Such people do not compare themselves to others. They are committed to continuous improvement, however, and aim to do their best during their time on the planet. Let’s look at some examples.
John Wooden, the legendary American College basketball coach, encouraged his players to follow this approach. He did not talk about winning but his teams won many titles.
Many of the individuals he coached described how John helped them to develop as both people and professionals. Here is a summary of his approach.
During his early career John began developing what later became known as his famous Pyramid of Success. This consisted of guiding principles that athletes could follow both on and off the court.
The base of the pyramid consisted of phrases such as: Industriousness; Friendship: Loyalty; Cooperation; Enthusiasm. Behind each of these words was an explanation. The word Industriousness, for example, was explained in detail. This included the phrases:
In plain language, I mean you have to work and work hard. There is no substitute for hard work. None. Worthwhile things come only from real work.
John built teams that aimed to live these values. He reinforced the Pyramid of Success by using certain maxims to remind people of their responsibilities. Here are some of the things he said.
Different people aim to do their best in different ways. They following sections describe one approach that is sometimes taken by individuals, teams and organisations
They Focus On
Doing What They Do Best
People, who take this approach aim to build on their strengths and do what they do best. They focus on a specific activity where they may have the ability to do superb work and deliver success.
Individuals who take this approach start by clarifying their strengths. Some start by exploring the following questions.
What are the specific activities where I have the ability to deliver As rather than Bs or Cs?
What are the activities where I am in my element – at ease and yet able to excel?
What are the activities that give me positive energy where I may have the ability to deliver peak performances?
There are many exercises that people can use to clarify their strengths and, for example, their best contribution to an employer or an organisation. Here is one of the best known approaches.
This is an approach that can be used by individuals, teams and organisations. It encourages people to build on their strengths, do satisfying work and make their best contribution towards achieving the picture of success.
The sweet spot concept stems from sport. Since then it has been applied to many other areas of life. Here are some definitions.
The point or area on a bat, club, or racket where it makes most effective contact with the ball.
The particular situation or combination of things that is the best and most effective possible.
The spot where you do something that may appear effortless but sometimes produces the most effective results.
The approach is obviously related to the Japanese concept of Ikigai. But it does not necessarily cover their purpose, vocation or mission on the planet.
When appropriate, however, a person can explore this approach to clarify the best contribution to helping people to achieve success. This involves them focusing on the following themes.
Strengths. The specific activities where they do superb work.
Satisfying Work. The specific activities where they do satisfying work.
Specific Contribution. The specific contribution they can make towards helping people, the team or the organisation to achieve success.
Great teams and organisations follow similar principles. This is an approach that we will explore further in the next section. It involves people exploring the following theme.
They Focus On
Doing Their Best
People who do superb work prepare properly. They rehearse how to follow their chosen strategies and manage any challenges on the way towards achieving their picture of success.
Such people take this approach whether they are performing at the Village Hall or The Carnegie Hall. They then aim to click into action, be fully present and do their best to deliver peak performances.
Great teams and organisations take a similar approach. They do what they do best and encourage their people to do what they do best. They then aim to keep performing at their best. Let’s explore these themes.
Great organisations, for example, follow this approach by focusing on the following themes.
They focus on their strengths and the things they do best;
They focus on the kinds of customers with whom they work best;
They focus on doing what they best and helping their customers to achieve success.
Great organisations recognise that they are only as good as their people’s performance. Bearing this in mind, they encourage and enable their people to do what they do best.
Such organisations build on their people’s strengths and put people in the places where they can deliver As rather than Bs or Cs. They then take the following steps.
They communicate the organisation’s purpose, principles and picture of success;
They make clear contracts with people about their best contributions towards achieving the picture of success;
They then encourage their people to perform superb and do their best to achieve the picture of success.
Great organisations continue to perform at their best. This calls for them consistently delivering high professional standards and, when appropriate, being pacesetters. Some do this by taking the following steps.
They continue to create a positive environment in which motivated people can deliver peak performances;
They continue to embody the concept of continuous improvement for individuals and the organisation;
They continue to be pacesetters by staying ahead of the game and achieving ongoing success.
Bearing in mind their strengths, such organisations may develop new approaches to doing what they do best. They then apply these in modern ways to help both themselves and their customers to achieve success.
Many individuals follow a similar approach to stay ahead of the game. They may do this by focusing on the following theme.
They Focus On Being
The Best They Can Be
Great workers aim to keep improving. They aim to become the best counsellor, coach, technician, crisis manager, leader or other kind of professional they can be.
Charles Garfield inspired many people to follow this approach. Writing in his books Peak Performers and Second to None, he wrote:
Do not compete with anyone except yourself.
Different people follow this approach in different fields. Paradoxically, some follow it in the competitive field of sports. As we know, there are different philosophies in sport. One philosophy focuses on the theme of:
You have to do everything to win and become the best.
This sounds reasonable, but there are some caveats. Some athletes may be much more gifted than others. Bearing this in mind, some people focus on the theme of:
You can keep improving and become the best you can be.
This approach involves aiming: a) to build on their strengths; b) to focus on what they can control; c) to do their best every day. It involves using the talents they have been given and aiming to deliver peak performances.
Some people have another approach to being the best they can be. Such people are grateful for that they have been given in life. They then aim to be generous and use these gifts to help other people.
Different people follow this approach in different ways. Some focus on the positive things they want to give people during their time on the planet. Here are some things that people may mention when doing an exercise on this theme.
The positive things I want to give to
people during my time on the planet are:
A loving home … Lots of encouragement … Nourishing food … Positive experiences … Helping them to build on their strengths … The chance to do satisfying work … Practical tools they can use to shape a positive future.
There are many ways to do fine work. Some people build on their strengths and do what they do best. They then aim to do their best, do brilliant work and become the best they can be.
Imagine that want follow elements of this approach. What may be the specific activity you want to focus on? This could be an activity that gives you positive energy where you may have the ability to deliver peak performances.
How would you like to pursue this activity? How can you set specific goals? How can you do your best and do brilliant work? How can you then keep improving and become the best you can be?
If you wish, try tackling the exercise on this theme. This invites you to complete the following sentences.
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