What's Your Sign? ...Under Construction
The 70’s seem to be making a comeback.
If you watch any television at all you have probably heard of ‘That 70’s Show’, a sitcom set in the early 70’s genre. The clothes and music of the early 70’s are becoming the clothes and music of the late 90’s. Astrology was also big in the 70’s. Everybody was in to his or her astrological sign; "I am a Libra, we are balanced people…." One of the pickup lines for the night clubs at that time is still constantly being joked about, even today…What’s your sign? Everybody wanted to know, "What’s your sign"?
If someone were to pull up a chair next to you and ask you the same question, what would the answer be? Would it be Pieces, Sagittarius, Libra or Virgo? Or would it be Yield, Stop or Go? Maybe your sign is not today, or I am comfortable. If you are committed to being a leader…If you are committed to Making a Difference…If you are committed to being the "Best of the Best"…Then we propose the only proper response to this pending question is, "Under Construction".
What does Under Construction mean? It means always working to be a better ‘YOU". It means never accepting ‘Good Nuff’, from yourself or from those around you. It means that you are on a journey of continual Improvement; More today than yesterday…more tomorrow than today. Dr. W. Edwards Demmings common sense paradigm, that is, unfortunately, not too common. It means you are working to be a better human being and will continue doing so until the day you die. Arnold Palmer put it best when he said,
The road to success is always 'Under Construction.'
One of our larger clients, Genie Industries out of Redmond Washington, is a successful, privately owned manufacturer of Heavy Lift equipment. This highly successful company is the best in its field. This company is run by an outstanding team of high quality individuals working together like a well-oiled machine. What makes them the "Best of the Best" is that they are committed to the concept of Lean Manufacturing.
Lean Manufacturing is a concept based on Demmings CANI model: Constant And Never-ending Improvement. How can they make the best Lifting Equipment, while being as LEAN as possible with the expenses. They also believe in the same concept for their team members. They are committed to continual improvement for their most cherished asset, the hearts and minds of their people. We have approximately 4-8 members of the Genie team in ever one of our Leadership Awakening classes in Reno. This is what it means to be "Under Construction".
People who are Under Construction are always working to improve who they are and what they do. You will find these people at training classes like Empower U on more than one occasion. These people are reading books or listening to audiotapes, not for entertainment, for education. Under Construction people are not looking to be comfortable…to just get by with ‘Good Nuff’, they are looking to excel, to have an impact…to make a difference.How do you get onto the "Under Construction" journey? Sometimes it is by choice, other times, it is… just… time…and the Time can be NOW! Sometimes life can thrust us into an incredible opportunity for growth, an optimal chance to really learn about who we are and what we are made of. It is these times that we most want to avoid- when we are in them, and most cherish when they are over. In the words of Ralph Waldo Emerson:
What lies before us and what lies behind us are tiny matters, compared to what lies within us.
It is these times where "Major Construction" can take place, if we choose. The loss of a job, a spouse, a transfer, a medical condition, being ostracized from an organization you helped build…whatever the circumstance…you are UNDER CONSTRUCTION. It is better to be prepared for these situations. How do you get prepared, you might ask? By being constantly, Under Construction! When you are constantly Under Construction, then you are continually growing and reaching more and more of your unlimited potential. Being constantly Under Construction you are striving to improve in every role in your life. To be a better Spouse, parent, boss, co-worker, friend, sibling, team member, employee…
Relations
So what is the best way to get Under Construction? There are three things we must do to constantly be Under Construction…
Want It
You have to have a desire to be better today than yesterday, and better tomorrow than today. You have to be willing to accept responsibility for what you did, or didn’t do, in the past and commit to doing better in the future. ‘Good Nuff’ is not an option; there is a burning inside to be "The best of the best". This desire is not for self, but for accepting the responsibility of being the ‘ Person you could have been’. This desire will drive you so that you become interested in personal improvement classes like Empower U. You will find a hunger for knowledge, a burning to know more, to be more, to do more. In our Leadership Awakening class we play a song by John Denver, called " I want to Live". The chorus of the song says it all: I want to live, I want to grow, I want to see, I want to know, I want to share all I can give, I want to be, I want to live. You have got to Want It, and you have got to know ‘Why’ you Want It. "He who has a ‘why’, can bear almost any ‘how’", Nietzke. The why is what will keep you going when all else seems lost. In his highly acclaimed book, "Mans Search for Meaning", Victor Frankl introduces the reader to, and talks about Logo Therapy. He discovered that if we can find meaning in everything, then it has purpose and a value. So why are you UNDER CONSTRUCTION and why do you remain UNDER CONSTRUCTION. Remember the ‘Why’.
Create It
Once you have the Desire and you really Want It, take the next step and Create it. It is not enough to have this desire; you must do something with it. Let it be the fuel that sparks initiative and creativity. This desire will drive you so that you sign up for personal improvement classes like Empower U. You will find a hunger for knowledge, a burning to know more, to be more, to do more. Take this hunger and go to the library, jump on an Internet bookstore. Sign up for a class at the University or the community college. Start mapping out exactly how you are going to be Under Construction. An important part of this is also your Belief System or B.S. You have to be willing to accept responsibility for the past without locking yourself into insanity. The definition of crazy is doing the same things over and over and expecting the results to be different. We need to start creating this not only in actions but also in our thoughts and our Belief Systems. If we constantly tell ourselves I have never been good at…or, I am not a …or, I cant…. Then we continue on the same road, but if we reframe the thought and the words to, "Up until now", we accept responsibility for the past and give ourselves permission to change the present and the future. Up until now, I have not been good at staying in shape…Up until now, I have not been a good listener…Up until now, I have not committed to be a better father…Up until now. When we Create It, we must create it not only in our actions but in our thoughts and words, as well.
Live It
This is where the rubber meets the road. This is where we lose most people. Most people will talk the talk, but will they ‘Walk the Talk" and LIVE IT.? A lot of people want to do a lot of things: I want to take a week long vacation, I want to go to Hawaii, I want to …I want to…I want to…. We then procrastinate and then… we should have…I should of done this…I should of…. We need to quit Should’n on ourselves and Do it…LIVE IT! Don’t just ‘Want to’ attend training classes like Empower U. Don’t just call and get the schedule mailed or faxed to you. Sign up for the class and attend the class. Then most importantly do something with the information. Don’t just buy the book and read the introduction or the back cover. Read the book and, most importantly, do something with the information. Don’t just listen to the tapes while you are driving. Study them, pay attention, listen to them 3 or 5 times, and most importantly, do something with the information. There is a big difference between knowing and doing. The world is full of hypocrites, including the one writing this article. Since I am Under Construction, I can say that and focus on being a little less of a hypocrite every day. Make sure you are not just knowledgeable of the fact that you should grab a hold of each thought and keep the good ones and toss the bad ones; Make sure you do what you know you should do. Saint Paul said it best, " Why do I do what I know I should not do and not do that which I know I should do", my paraphrase.
Let us help you be "Under Construction". We are here not only to guide you through our weekend Leadership experiences, but also to help you implement the knowledge. Remember most people experience the learning, but do they learn from the experience? At least to the point of implementation? Let us help you LIVE IT. Put together a Powerless word jar in your office. Anytime someone uses a Powerless word: try, hope, I believe, I want to…have them deposit a quarter. This will help everyone be aware of the words they use and you will help them get rid of some weak, wimpy words. Do the same thing with negative programming and ‘Up till now’. We also have other classes where you can continue your growth. We do a lot of on-site training to help our clients take what they have learned in a controlled environment and implement into their own environment. What about bringing the team together and re-working the company mission statement? Let us help you LIVE IT and keep building successful relationships and companies!
These 3 Simple steps are the keys to being the Person that you were intended to be. Not 21 immutable laws, not 10 steps, not even seven habits…just 3 things…Want It.Create It.Live It.So next time someone asks you your sign, what will you say? If you are like me, then there is only on response…UNDER CONSTRUCTION. Remember the words of Bob Moawad:
You can’t leave footprints in the sands of time, if you are sitting on your butt.
And who wants to leave buttprints in the sands of time?
As we continue our journey of continual improvement, I look forward to seeing your footprints, not your butt prints, in other classes and in the headlines. You can’t be Under Construction if you are sitting on your butt…
I remain...
Enthusiastically yours,
Scott V. Black
The Empower U Leadership Team
April 1999
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