There are many ways to do fine work. One approach involves people choosing to sign up, show up and step up when working to achieve a picture of success. Let’s explore these themes.
Sign Up
This step involves a person making a conscious decision to opt into doing a piece of work. They may do this after clarifying the pluses and minuses involved in tackling a challenge or aiming to achieve a specific goal.
The sign up approach is also used in teams. It involves giving people the big picture and context. This includes communicating the following things to people:
The team’s purpose, the principles to follow – together with the reasons for these – and the picture of success;
The potential pluses and minuses involved in working to achieve the picture of success;
The team’s responsibilities and the individual’s responsibilities in working to achieve the picture of success.
People are then given the opportunity to reflect and decide if they want to sign up. If so, they are then make clear contracts about the best contributions towards achieving the goals.
Imagine that you may want to follow elements of this approach. This involves you choosing:
To clarify the specific goal you or the team you are joining wants to achieve – together with the benefits of achieving the goal;
To clarify the pluses and minuses involved in working to achieve the goals – together with how you can build on the pluses and minimise the minuses;
To clarify whether you want to sign up to doing what is required to do your best to achieve the goal.
Let’s assume that you have chosen to opt into making this commitment. You may then focus on the next theme.
Show Up
This step involves a person preparing properly, being fully present and aiming to do their best when performing a piece of work. Let’s explore these themes.
Preparing Properly
Great workers try to make things as predictable as possible. This gives them more space to deal with any unexpected events that may happen along the way.
They start by setting things up to succeed. Bearing in mind what they can control, they rate the chances of being able to achieve the desired goals. They do this on a scale 0-10.
They then focus on what they can do to maintain or improve the rating. They make sure there is at least a 7+/10 chance of achieving the desired goal.
Such workers then rehearse how they can do their best when performing the work. This involves them taking the following steps:
They rehearse pursuing the strategies they can follow that will give themselves the greatest chance of success;
They rehearse managing the potential challenges they may face on the way towards achieving success;
They again rehearse pursuing the strategies they can follow to give themselves the greatest chance of success.
Such workers also try to make sure they have the various kinds of support that will help them to achieve the goals. They then focus on the next stage.
Being Fully Present
Great workers often have a ritual for clicking into action. Some have a mantra they say before entering their version of the arena. They then aim to be positively engaged rather than partly engaged or pretend engaged.
They focus on the first task in hand. They keep using their antennae to be alive, alert and give their full attention to the work they are doing. This involves the next stage.
Doing Their Best When
Performing The Piece Of Work
Great workers give 100 percent and do their professional best. They show respect for the task in hand whether they are performing at their equivalent of the Village Hall or the Carnegie Hall.
Such workers apply their strengths and aim to make their best contribution towards achieving the goal. When appropriate, they also encourage other people and the team to achieve success. Sometimes this involves focusing on the following theme.
Step Up
Great workers follow the ethic of continuous improvement. They keep reading reality when performing the work. They aim to keep building on what is working and tackle areas for improvement.
Such workers sometimes face unexpected challenges or need to do something special. They then aim to step up, rise to the occasion and add that touch of class that delivers the desired results.
There are many ways to do fine work. One approach is for people to sign up, show up and step up. Looking ahead, can you think of a situation where you may want to follow this approach in your own way?
If you wish, try tackling the exercise on this theme. This invites you to complete the following sentences.
Leave a Reply