Subscribe to the 2W2aB feedI lead a talk this morning for the Puget Sound chapter of ASTD focused on how we can catalyze breakthroughs in our workplaces and with our clients. I asked the participants to list the small actions they might take that would make a big difference. Here are the actions they listed (forgive me if I don't get the words exactly right due to a misread of someone's handwriting - sorry, there were a couple I could not make out at all). My notes are in the parentheses.
- Talk about goals together
- Co-create goals (love this one)
- Match introverts and extroverts together more
- Reinforce the mission
- Soft skills training (this one needs to get more granular - the small that gets the big)
- Curriculum redesign (yes, the needs to happen, and we need to get more granular)
- Improve communication (more granular - what's one small thing you can do TODAY?)
- Have more one-on-one conversations
- Ask stimulating questions
- Listen actively (yes, this is a bit too general - specifics please)
- Start day meditating
- Connect people intentionally (Yes! Who will you connect this week?)
- Networking (Get more granular)
- Smiling
- Become a subject matter expert
- Speak to people
- Be present (what does that look like in action?)
- Acknowledge the greatness in others
- Acknowledge your own gifts
- Start the day doing something you love (great idea)
- End the day doing something you love
- Be more thoughtful - pause, think about possibilities
- Be intentional - on purpose, clear, focused (Yes, this is good, but we often talk about this without defining what it looks like in action)
- Take risks - say what's not being said (love this)
- Write more thank you notes
- Build and facilitate trust (what does this look like in action, specifics please)
- Talk about what's not being talked about
- Care
- Ask, "what do you need?"
- Show your interest in others
- Be cognizant of nonverbal communication (a bit general)
- Have training participants do little things during training
- check in with people every day
- Help people ID their goals
- Demonstrate a passion for your own goals (and I would add FEEL passion for your goals, not everyone does)
- Help people move to the exciting parts of their goals (what does this look like)
- Lunch n' learn sessions
- Put a table in the hallway, "Ask me"
- Move to self-directed training
- Work on the problems they are currently facing (yes)
Interesting - these are all good things to do. As professionals, we need to challenge ourselves to translate these intentions into small and specific actions. And let's pick the smallest that gets the biggest result (the 5/95 Rule again).
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