There are many ways to do fine work. One approach is to follow a routine that works, manage any potential randomness and do your best to deliver the desired results.
Imagine that you want to follow this approach in your own way. Let’s explore how you can make this happen.
Routine
Great workers often follow a routine that works. Sometimes it can take a person years for them to find and follow such a routine. Here are some examples.
A writer may follow a certain routine in their daily work. They may make good use of their prime times – the times when they have most creative energy.
They may also follow a certain structure when composing an article or a story. This frees the writer to use their imagination to fill the framework with powerful writing.
A mentor may follow a certain routine when helping mentees. They may start by anticipating what the topics the mentee may wish to explore and rehearsing the session.
They then make the person feel welcome, clarify their goals and focus on the first topic they want to explore. They then pass on knowledge in a way the person can use to achieve their goals.
A leader may follow a certain routine to create a positive environment in which motivated people can perform at their best. They ensure that people are clear on the team’s purpose, principles and picture of success.
Such a leader may coordinate people’s strengths to do superb work. They will then encourage, educate and enable people to achieve the picture of success.
Let’s return to your own life and work. Can you think of a situation where you may want to do your best? What are the results you want to achieve in the situation?
How can you do your best to achieve these results? What are the strategies you can follow to give yourself the greatest chance of success? What are those that are most likely to work?
What may be the routine you can follow to translate these strategies into action? How can you use your strengths – and follow your successful style – to do superb work?
Imagine that you have clarified the routine you want to follow when doing a piece of work. Sometimes you may meet challenges along the way. Let’s explore this theme.
Randomness
Great workers like to make things as predictable as possible. This creates the platform for delivering consistently high standards. It also gives them the strength to ride the roller coaster of managing challenges and random events.
Some of these challenges will be predictable but others may be unexpected. They may therefore also explore how to manage randomness that may occur on the journey.
Many people cite Harold Macmillan, a former British Prime Minister, describing what could upset his plans. The quote was never actually verified, but he was rumoured to say that his main concerns were:
“Events, Dear Boy, Events.”
Some events are more predictable than others. Looking back at my early work in therapeutic communities, for example, it was often possible to see people’s patterns and how they would behave in certain situations.
There were, however, many roller coaster ups and downs – plus random events – that occurred. It was then our job to manage these situations in ways that helped both the individuals and the whole community.
Imagine you are following your chosen routine when doing a piece of work. What are the potential challenges you may encounter on the way? How can you prevent some of these happening? How can you manage some of these challenges if, despite your best efforts, they still happen?
What are the random events that could occur? Looking at each of these events, how can you ride the roller coaster? How can you buy time to think and clarify the potential ways forward? How can you decide on your strategy and manage the event?
Imagine that you are doing good work and managing the potential events. You may then move on to the next stage.
Results
Great workers do their best to achieve the desired results. Delivering the goods can be more predictable when doing some activities, however, rather than when doing others.
Imagine that you lead a team that delivers marketing campaigns. Each project will call for clarifying the brief, conducting research and running a superb campaign. Providing you do these things properly, you are more likely to achieve the predicted results.
Imagine that you coach a football team. Bearing in mind the team’s strengths, you will aim to implement the right strategy with the right people in the right way. Whilst you can enable people perform at their best, there may be factors beyond your control that affect results.
Great workers recognise they can only do their best. That is why in sports, for example, many coaches follow the advice given by Bill Walsh:
Keep delivering the standards of performance and the score takes care of itself.
Let’s return to your own life and work. Looking ahead, can you think of a situation where you may want to follow some of the steps we have explored?
Imagine you have clarified the results you want to achieve in the situation. How can you follow a routine that work? How can you manage any randomness? How can you do your best to achieve the desired results?
If you wish, try tackling the exercise on this theme. This invites you to complete the following sentences.
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