I do it all the time. I’ve got too many things to do in too little time, so I’m running around doing the things that seem most urgent at the time. Invariably, I forget something or make a mistake that I wouldn’t normally make. It’s only when I stop to remember a lesson I learned during survival training that I am able to bring a sense of peace and order back into my life.
The following 3-minute video was filmed during a recent camping expedition high in the snowy mountains of British Columbia. In it, I share a lesson that our survival instructor taught my friends and me. It was a lesson intended to save our lives or the life of someone else in an emergency. But the lesson is just as applicable, if not more so, in our busy daily lives.
Forgive the comical acting skills and see how you can relate my experience to your daily experience at work.
I can tell you from my own experience that the principle of regular strategic planning works. I challenge you to think about your daily and weekly routine, and decide now to get into the habit of setting aside some time to take a metaphorical knee. Taking a knee can take many different forms:
- Establishing a regular time each week to plan your key activities, and assigning sufficient time in your calendar to accomplish them.
- Having an “all hands” morning meeting with your team to discuss the key deliverables and milestones that need to be met by the end of the day.
- Committing to a regular leadership meeting schedule with your top managers.
As you apply the “take a knee” principle in your life, you will find that you are less stressed, your days are less hurried, and you will actually be able to get more work done with higher quality.
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2 Responses
We have a short staff meeting three days a week when everyone gets in just to go through what is happening for the next three days, who is coming in,what needs to be done for them by whom. It takes us about 10 minutes but as you said it helps us get organized. It could be better so I’ll suggest we add to it. Thanks for confirming that we are on the right track.
Mike you write well, have great suggestions and encourage us to improve. Good luck