There are many models for doing fine work. One approach is to go through the stages of enlightenment, enterprise and excellence.
People have many epiphanies but they may only pursue a few. Enterprise calls for doing things to translate their insights into action. They can then keep working until they achieve excellence.
Andre Agassi, the former tennis player, described how many people have epiphanies but the key is to make use of these breakthroughs. He described this in the following way.
“Epiphanies don’t change your life. It’s what you do with them that changes your life.”
Some people choose to quickly act on the insight. Some reflect, sleep on it and see if the breakthrough still resonates. Sometimes the idea gets stronger. If so, they then decide whether or not they want to translate it into action.
Looking back on your life, when you have gone through these stages? You may have translated the breakthrough into writing an article, renovating a house, launching a website or whatever.
If you wish, try tackling the exercise on this theme. This invites you to do the following things.
Describe a specific time when you went through the stages of enlightenment, enterprise and working to produce excellence.
Describe the specific things you did then to go through these stages.
Describe the specific things that happened as a result of going through these stages.
Enlightenment
When do you get creative breakthroughs? Maybe it is a particular time of day, such as the early morning. Maybe you are doing a particular activity, such as walking. Maybe you are in a particular location, such as the countryside.
There is no guarantee that doing these things will produce ideas, but it can be useful to consider the conditions that lead to such breakthroughs. Here is what one person said.
“I get my best ideas at different times. One is when running in the morning. My head feels clear and this releases my imagination.
“Running is easy at the weekends, but more difficult during the week.
“So I decided to create a 20-minute walk to my work place in London. I get off the tube two stops before I need to, buy a coffee and walk to the office.
“This helps me to recover from the crowded commuter train. I feel refreshed and able to do good work during the day.
“Another time I get ideas is when witnessing something brilliant. I love to see a superb musical, visit an art gallery or watch wildlife programmes on television.
“My mind feels stimulated. Frequently I follow-up the ideas and translate these into something tangible.”
Enlightenment comes in many different forms. It also has many different names, such as ‘epiphanies’, ‘realisations’ or ‘Aha!’ moments.
Such moments are exciting, but not all stand the test of time. Some people therefore choose to reflect, sleep on it and see if the breakthrough still resonates.
Sometimes the idea gets stronger. If so, they then decide whether or not they want to translate it into action. This is something we will explore later.
Imagine that you want to do a specific project. Let’s explore how you can do this by going through the stages of enlightenment, enterprise and excellence.
The first step may be to clarify the real results you want to achieve. It may then be to gather information, make creative breakthroughs and settle on your chosen way forwards.
If you wish, try tackling the exercise on this theme. This invites you to complete the following sentences.
Enterprise
Some people see enlightenment as an end in itself. Another approach is to be enterprising. It is to do something with the idea and translate it into action. How to make this happen?
Let’s assume that you have had a creative breakthrough. You can see a potential way forward with the project and are clear on your picture of success.
Good implementers then move into action. They aim to keep doing the right things in the right way every day. This increases the chances of delivering the right results.
Looking back at your own life, when have you followed a daily discipline? You may have been studying for an exam, aiming to improve your health, striving to hit a project deadline or whatever.
What did you do right then? How did you develop good habits? How did you overcome setbacks along the way? How did you encourage yourself on the journey? How can you follow similar principles in the future?
If you wish, try tackling the exercise on this theme. This invites you to complete the following sentences.
Excellence
Looking at the project you want tackle, what is your picture of success? What will be happening that will show you have delivered excellence?
Different people have different views regarding what they believe to be fine work. Much depends on the positive models they have learned from during the early part of their careers.
One Managing Director explained where he had learned about professional standards.
“My early working life was spent in retail. Fortunately I had a great boss who kept showing us what good looks like.
“Every morning he took us outside to stand in the car park. He encouraged us to look at the store through the customer’s eyes.
“He then took us on the customer’s journey. Looking at every detail as we walked through the store, he asked us to note the following things.
‘What is good about the store, the display and the behaviour of the staff? How can we do more of these things?
‘What can be improved about the store, the display and the behaviour of the staff? How can we do these things?
“Part of my job was to make sure that every tin was flush with the edge of each shelf. That is probably where I developed my OCD tendencies.
“Now I have extremely high standards regarding what must be delivered by the people in my company.”
If you wish, try tackling the final exercise on this theme. This invites you to complete the following sentences.
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