Self-Improvement
“There is nothing noble in being superior to your fellow man; true nobility is being superior to your former self.” ― Ernest Hemingway
I read business materials extensively in order to get different perspectives on various issues.
In doing so, I am astounded to see the number of articles talking about self-improvement. It blows my mind that a number of these come along with invites to sign up for classes or consultation.
At some point, there seems to be an overload of information on this matter.
It leads me to wonder why we continue to generate more and more materials on self-improvement. One would think that one good program or process should suffice. After all, once you establish a winning formula, why do you need to reinvent it so much so, that people are confused which program is right for them. But even more astounding is that with all the materials available to us, why is so much self-improvement needed and why must new programs which aren’t much different than those available to us need to be generated.
I go back to when I met Dr. Joseph Juran, one of the Quality gurus. When he asked what operational programs we use at Crayola, my colleague and I said that we used JIT, SPQ, CI, and about a half a dozen others. He looked at us and said, “Sounds like you have alphabet soup. Pick one thing and make it work. Everything is fundamentally the same and if done right will work for you.”
That left a big impression on me and I have been a KISS (Keep It Simple Stupid) disciple ever since.
There are basic fundamentals in every area of business that will never change. If we just follow these and add some tweaks to them as we develop new technologies, we will be fine.
The same holds for self-improvement. If we follow a simple path we will get to where we want to be. This path should be:
· Determine what you want to improve upon
There is an old truism that if you don’t know where you are going, any road will get you there. The same holds true for self-improvement. You need to decide what shortcoming you want to change and set a plan for doing so. You may need some help in establishing the plan. No one said that you have to have all of the answers. But you need to establish what to improve and how to go about it.
· Surround yourself with motivation and encouragement
Get excited about making the proposed changes. Surround yourself with the positive about what you will be doing. Stay away from the naysayers who tell you it can’t be done or that you are picking the wrong path. Not everyone is your friend and looking out for your best interests. Hard to imagine this, but it is true. Find your real support and feed off it. Especially if things don’t start off well. Keep the motivation going and you will eventually get to where you want to be. It may go fast or it may take some time. Just keep on keeping on.
· Set your milestones
As a check on how you are doing, it is always good to set milestones, based on time accomplishment and review where you are at regularly. If you are ahead of the curve, keep the momentum going and if you are behind, figure out why and adjust to pick things up. Everyone needs checkpoints. Make sure you have these and pay attention to them.
· Stay motivated
As mentioned previously, the path to change is not always swift and may have some obstacles along the way. If you are serious about improving, you need to deal with these things and keep moving ahead. To let anyone or anything waylay or stop you will probably stop you dead in your tracks. And remember creating inertia means it is that much more difficult to get restarted.
· Implement your plan
A plan without action is just a plan. To really make the change or changes you want and need you need to take action. And you need to be committed to see it through to completion. It is up to you. You can get all of the coaching and encouragement possible, but no one can make the necessary changes but you.
“Make the most of yourself…. for that is all there is of you.” ― Ralph Waldo Emerson
Conclusion
So, there you have it. A simple process to move ahead.
The rest is now up to you. Are you serious about making improvements? Are you committed to doing so? Can you follow this simple 5 step process and not get bogged down with the latest and greatest new thoughts and processes?
Remember all of the great people who tried and failed before succeeding. Many did not have the wealth of materials and knowledge available to you. Their ultimate success came from within and a desire to not stop until they succeeded.
Maybe you have too much to deal with. If so, remember what Dr, Juran told me and my colleague.
“Sounds like you have alphabet soup. Pick one thing and make it work. Everything is fundamentally the same and if done right will work for you.”
Now, ready, set, get going.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Peter H. Christian was a founding partner and president of espi, a business consulting firm in Northeastern PA. Previously he was an Executive at Crayola Corporation. He has worked with 300+ clients in business development, profit improvement, operations, IS selection and implementation, and Project Management. He has 40+ years of experience in strategic and facility planning, CI, lean, and supply chain. He has helped companies to realize millions of dollars in cost reductions and profit improvements adding and retaining thousands of jobs. He has authored the Amazon bestselling business books, “What About the Vermin Problem?” and “Influences and Influencers” (4 out of 4 star review on Online Bookclub) and is published in a variety of professional magazines. He is most appreciative of Dr. Rodney Ridley and Donald Schalk of the O’Pake Institute, Alvernia University for their support in allowing him to teach this important course
