The Value of Routine

I was in Austin Texas on Sunday. You can check out a couple of pictures on my FB page. While at a reception for the association members I had spoken to earlier in the day, I noticed people gathering along one side of a bridge along the river. I'm talking over a hundred people!  When I asked about the reason, I learned that Austin Texas has the largest urban bat colony in the United States residing under the Colony Street bridge. And every night at dusk, the bats come streaming out and fly down river to begin their nightly feeding. It was an incredible sight! For about 10 minutes a steady stream of bats flew along the river's edge.

As I watched the crowd of people and the tourist boats that gathered to watch this natural wonder, I couldn't help but think about the value of routine. The natural world teaches us so much about how important routine is in survival and success. It made me reflect on my own need to create more routines in my own life. Not just for my own benefit, but for the benefit of others (the bat's routine allowed tourists, boat operators and others to plan more efficiently because they knew when the event was going to take place.)

What routine do you need to continue or start to increase your chances of success with something? Maybe there is value in the phrase, "Going batty."

What Defines You?

One of my informal research projects of late has been to try and determine what people allow to define them. Some of the things I am seeing most often are:

• Success of  their children
• Past failures
• Past successes
• Stuff (House, Car, Electronics, etc.)
• What other people are saying about them-or think about them
• How they are doing relative to other people (Keeping up with the Joneses of course)
• Where they went to college or if they went to college
• Serving others
• Having a positive impact on others
• Being comfortable

Interestingly enough, most people would not give me one of the answers listed above if I asked them the question, but their actions and reactions on a daily basis are a more accurate indicator.

If someone watched you over the period of a day or week, what would they say defines you? And more importantly, are you comfortable with the answer?

The Power of The Personal Touch-Part 2

After 16 years of frequent stays in hotels it had to happen... a fire alarm in the middle of the night. As I awoke at 2:08 AM (funny how you remember the exact time) to the the "whoop-whoop" of the alarm, I thought, "At any moment they will make an announcement saying it's a false alarm." As I sat up and began putting on my shoes, an automated voice told us to head to the stairways to exit. I was still skeptical that this was the real thing, but I complied-just in case.

After getting outside I learned there was actually a small fire that started in the ventilation system in the kitchen. Nothing significant-just enough to set off the alarm. Within 30 minutes we were back in our rooms.

As I lay in bed trying to go back to sleep, I couldn't help but think how I would have responded if the voice had been a real human being. I would have moved much more quickly. They could have used the same words as the "autotron" but the impact would have been very different.

Seriously, I understand the need to heed fire alarm warnings, sirens and similar signals (still a little jaded by my college dorm years), but in other areas our world has become so automated and impersonal. We know the power of the personal touch-but we just don't leverage its value.

Two weeks ago I needed to get a question answered about an airport's opening time. I found their phone number, dialed it, and expected to go through the regular series of menu prompts. Instead, a pleasant voice said, "Good evening and thank you for calling the Charlotte Douglas International Airport-How may I help you?" I had to pinch myself because I thought I was dreaming!

What could you do today to add more of the personal touch to your interactions? Don't be surprised if you get a very different response from those receiving the message.

The Secret To Successful Change

Okay, it's not a secret. But most people (and organizations) treat it like a secret. They hide it from themselves and others through old and outdated routines, procrastination and fear. It get smothered under a long list of reasons that the change won't work. Organizations miss it because they develop complex plans that never connect with the people who are doing the work on a daily basis. The secret...

Change something you do daily.

Expecting more? Sorry. The biggest secret to successful change of any size is to start by changing something you do on a daily basis. Consider these scenarios:

• Want to be more productive at work? Give yourself 10-15 minutes first thing in the morning each day to plan and review-instead of looking at email and listening to voice mail.
• Losing weight your goal? Take a daily walk.
• Desire to build a stronger relationship with a family member? Make it a priority to spend quality time with them daily.

There are a hundred other possibilities, but each one starts with a change in what you do each day. As the change becomes part of your normal routine you reap the benefits, and can then make other changes that lead to even greater results.

Best-selling author John Maxwell says it best: The secret of your success is found in your daily routine.

Curious, Committed, Passionate... or Obsessed?

Reflect on the way you approached your tasks and activities yesterday. Which of the four words in the title would best describe the attitude with which you worked on them? Here's my simple definition of each one:

• Curious. You engage in the task, but often move on to something else before the job is completed because you are curious about something else.
• Committed. You focus on the task, attempting to complete it in a timely manner, and sincerely try to prevent other distractions from taking you away from it. Others respect you for your work ethic.
• Passionate. You make the task a priority, plan for it before you start, and work on it with an enthusiasm that brings admiration from others. Your energy is contagious, encouraging others to take on their tasks with a similar passion. They may even want to get on board and help you accomplish it.
• Obsessed. You are so hyper focused on a task, project or activity that you are willing to neglect work on other tasks of similar importance-even when they need your attention. Unlike passion, your obsession drives a wedge between you and those around you because they don't see you as being concerned about the bigger picture-and interested in accomplishing other goals important to the team.

As I said earlier, there's value in each attitude, but I find that most people spend most of their time and energy in the "curious" or "obsessed" arenas. To achieve excellence we need to be more committed and passionate about those things we SAY are important to us. And stop obsessing about those things that just don't matter as much.

What word will best describe your work and life today?