The Peripheral Wave Effect
Once again, happy Friday! Today, the reading content is first or if you’d prefer, you can watch the 55 sec. video below.
Wrapping up a coaching engagement with a manager, I asked what areas had improved from our work together. Work-life balance, was the first mentioned. I was taken aback as we hadn’t specifically addressed the issue. I asked how this had come about and he told me that six-months ago (before we started working together) his time management was a shit-show. “You’ve taught how to use a diary and the rest of my life has improved,” he said.
I recall another project where, after spending 45 minutes mapping a production workflow, I stopped and said, “There’s the problem that needs correcting.” Sure enough, 4-months later they reported a 65% increase in production. This corrective process was combined with a secondary additive of marketing.
I call this the peripheral wave effect: focused improvement on one or two elements that then positively impact closely associated areas.
The military strategist, Carl von Clausewitz, said it this way: “…identify the decisive point and…concentrate everything on it…ignoring lesser objectives.”
Don’t focus on the many. Narrow your improvement work and you are likely to see a powerful peripheral wave effect come into play; perhaps in ways that you too, might be taken aback.
Ray
If you liked today’s piece please let me know by clicking the heart below and feel free to comment or share.
You’re also welcome to read and download any of the hundreds of free resources here at my website.