Energy is finite. Time never returns. We can only be in one place at one time. To make progress, we can’t afford to waste energy.
Recognize the patterns. It’s different to try and try again until we can heat the metal and bend it. All meaningful and worthy causes usually require the hard work and effort, persistence, and resilience to make the breakthrough, to build the Samurai sword that is both strong and flexible.
In contrast to the energy that we apply to forge a legendary sword that can shield the precious and slay the evil, energy applied to even worthy causes never yields the results in proportion to the effort. This is what I call is the Rubberband concept. As a mentor, teacher, guide, manager or team member, you can help the team stretch to meet a target. But when you leave, the productivity falls. It snaps right back. If you are in situations, you will never reach your full potential as an individual, team, organization, or family.
Educate, train, inspect, and motivate. If progress does not hold, the team does not advance, the engine does not keep running without your constant need to prime the pump, you will sub-optimize progress.
To stop losing good energy, start with:
(1) Assessing why progress is not taking hold
- clarity of goal
- buy-in of outcome
- motivation to grow
- ability to grasp work
- willingness to commit.
(2) Setting progress milestones
- time, quality, budget, innovation, teamwork
(3) Action
- Train more if training gaps exist
- Promote when results exceed targets
- Bridge to another job if results don’t improve and the job is a mismatch
The bottom line is that we must manage our energy and channel it for progress. When progress is slowed because transformation does not take hold, take action to fix the drain as soon as you can.
Raj
for more insights on advancing to your full potential, you can find motivation and inspiration in my book, Find Your Everest before someone chooses it for you.