Tag: Book

A list of transformational 72 hour challenges

Harambe Market at Disney's Animal Kingdom
Yesterday’s Disney Leadership book writing location, Harambe Market at Disney’s Animal Kingdom.

 

Personal growth and surrender are inseparable.

Having short-term intentional challenges mitigates the temptation to compete against luck.

Here are some of the ridiculously small steps (72-hour challenges) i’ve taken that have been transformational:

 

  1. Stop texting and reading emails while driving
  2. Write five daily, differently-themed blog posts
  3. Stop drinking alcohol
  4. Stop speaking up in meetings (advice from boss)
  5. Drive the speed limit
  6. Make 10 minutes early my “on-time” standard
  7. Jog 100 meters each morning
  8. Place every postage stamp upside down
  9. Tell my colleague’s bosses complimentary examples about them (and never tell my colleagues i did it)
  10. Keep my leader (while i was at Disney Institute) informed so they never have to ask
  11. Volunteer at Church
  12. Buy a glass jar and fill it with 936 beads, place it on my desk before our Son is born
  13. Take one bead out of the jar every Friday until our Son turns 18 (18 years x 52 weekends/year = 936 weekends (beads)
  14. Handpick flowers and personally deliver them to my Wife
  15. Start going to the gym
  16. Schedule annual health checkups in January
  17. Weigh myself (twice) in the morning
  18. Floss my teeth before bedtime
  19. Read at least an hour a day
  20. Write at least two hours a day
  21. Make plans to retire at 55
  22. Create a “plan b” before the next potential economic crisis
  23. Stop drinking coffee and diet coke
  24. Begin each day on my knees

 

All of the above were small steps that began one day and continued for a few more days. Now, it’s the new normal.

 

__________

 

This website is about our mental attitude. To easily leave this site to read today’s post on jeff’s physical health website, click here.

 

On April Fool’s Day 2009, jeff noel began writing five daily, differently-themed blogs (on five different sites). It was to be a 100-day self-imposed “writer’s bootcamp”, in preparation for writing his first book. He hasn’t missed a single day since.

 

All or nothing

Personal triumph
Not quite to the two mile mark, he’s (left) trailing a teammate (upper right) by roughly 200 meters.

 

The all-or-nothing scenario faces most of us every day. And often, all day.

It can be challenging (ok, more like impossible) to deliver at a high level all the time.

At Disney, however, we believe this culture of excellence can (and must) be architected with intentional structure and processes – to facilitate exactly that – high performance, all day, every day.

Was inspired by a 10th grader smashing his season (and lifetime) best 5k personal record by 3-minutes and 20-seconds.

Unless you’re the boy or his parents (and maybe his coaches) the obvious question is, “So what?”

So what does this mean to any of us and our continuous challenge to raise, at every level in our organization, every employee’s willingness to accept and deliver at an exceptional level all day, every day?

 

•  •  •  •  •

This website is about our mental attitude. To easily leave this site to read today’s post on jeff’s physical health website, click here.

 

Leaders

Vision

Every leader can articulate their vision in a clear, concise, compelling way to their direct reports, their peers, and their boss.

 

Involvement

Every leader can articulate, to anyone, the difference between training for compliance and developing for commitment.

Structure and processes are key.

 

Accountability

Every leader uses the employee-customer-business three-legged stool. Every leader uses the technical-managerial-behavioral three-legged stool.

Metrics and expectations are prioritized.

 

Commitment

Every leader spends a corporately agreed upon amount of face-time with direct reports. Front-line leaders would be 80% minimum.

Every leader uses a corporate-wide Continuous Improvement Process.

Every leader uses a corporately-approved three-tiered recognition structure: Employee to employee, leader to employee, company to employee.

Every leader completes a corporately approved leadership development session, including a 360 evaluation from boss, self, peers, direct reports (or partner if no DR).

 

•  •  •  •  •

This website is about our mental attitude. To easily leave this site to read today’s post on jeff’s physical health website, click here.

 

Your big break

Disney business books
i love when the word Disney is used on books by authors who aren’t officially part of Disney.

 

Disney business books
Keep chipping away.

 

When will your “big break” arrive?

It’s taking forever, right?

Time to give up?

Truth be told, you’ve been getting your big break.

Your big break is every day.

As in today.

Today.

It’s up to you to keep chipping away at it.

Today.

Eventually, you’ll crack open your lucky break.

Insight: it won’t crack open if you stop chipping away.

 

•  •  •  •  •

This website is about our MIND. To read posts about our BODY, click here.

 

The Disney Touch – mental

Disney management expert jeff noel
First, Walt Disney invented the trash can style in the photo. Second, he institutionalized the use of basic manners. Who fusses over the word ‘please’ on a trash can?

 

The Disney Touch.

It ain’t the Magic that makes it work, it’s the work that makes it Magic.

Nothing changes if changes aren’t made.

How bad do you want it?

Simplicity is operational genius.

The basics: Attitude, thoughts, choices.

 

•  •  •  •  •

This website is about our MIND. To read posts about our BODY, click here.