Think about a compass and a clock two very important tools, but two very different instruments. A compass provides a sense of direction, purpose, vision, perspective, and balance. A clock measures duration and the expenditure of time. A compass determines effectiveness-doing the right tasks. A clock determines efficiency-how long it takes to accomplish a task.…
On December 31, 2019 who would have thought that the New Year would put us in a place where we would have to choose lives over livelihood. The consequences of the coronavirus are staggering. Isolation, financial loss, and for some there has been the pain of sickness and even death. Our world has been turned…
How do you respond to the following advice? “Usually, post-event debriefs are filled with accounts of what went wrong. While analyzing our need for improvement is good, we should actually be spending the majority of the time on what went right! What do you want to do again next time? Once you can pinpoint your…
Life with Sergeant Major Clock The plan? Conclude our series with an outline of the essential steps in planning. As someone has said, “If we fail to plan, we plan to fail.” First, let me highlight the essence of the last article. 1) We trade time for the things we value most. There are three time filters…
Life with Sergeant Major Clock The clock keeps ticking and here we are in April. It’s time to take a further look at how we manage time. Last month we looked at nine myths that surround our use of time: Activity equals results; Delayed decisions improve their quality; Delegation saves time; Efficient people are most…
Life with Sergeant Major Clock We have all said or heard people say, “I don’t have the time.” Time becomes this abstract villain that robs us of time with loved ones, the enjoyment of our hobbies, the fulfillment of our dreams and the ability to achieve excellence in our work. Is “time” really the problem?…
There was a time when I would say “The only thing I didn’t like about school was the time between recess and lunch, lunch and recess, and recess and dismissal. I endured the classroom for the thrill of the games that filled recess and lunch breaks. As long as I could produce “B’s” on my…
“At 99 degrees, water is very hot. At 100 degrees, it boils. And with boiling water, comes steam. And with steam you can power a locomotive. And, it’s that ONE extra degree that makes all the difference.” -Max Anderson “Good enough” is often a statement made to condone mediocrity. It is a cover for the…