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January 27, 2009
The First 100 Days
Our country just had the distinct honor of inaugurating a new president. This “peaceful transfer of power” is a hallmark of a democracy, and something that should be cherished by all freedom-loving people (regardless of party affiliation or political view).
Leading up to the Big Day itself, I saw an article with the following title: “Every president since FDR is judged on what he does in his first 100 days in office”. That really caught my attention, not because it was any surprise, but because it really parallels what goes on in our own lives. Think about when you started your most recent job: chances are the actions you took, the attitude you held, and the results you obtained during your first 100 days with that employer went a long way in determining your long-term success there.
Since I focus here more on independent endeavors and personal development, I want to spend my focus today on those areas. Let’s see what we can apply from President Obama’s start:
· He had a game plan. Well sure, he didn’t just show up with his team and ask “what do we do now?” Nope, they had a game plan that was being developed early in his election run. Same holds true for us. When we’re starting a new marketing blitz, when we’re taking a serious run at a new goal, it’s best not to wing it. Sure we have to be flexible, but be like the scouts and Be Prepared! · He came out of the blocks fast. Agree with his policies or not, you have to acknowledge he hasn’t tippy-toed around. We have to come out strong to achieve some velocity, which turns into momentum (see the Archive for some words on that). When an airplane is taking off, the pilot sets it at full throttle and goes! Otherwise, the plane won’t clear the end of the runway. Once she has reached some cruising altitude, she can then pull back on the throttle. I once earned a “Fast Start Award” for my production results during my first 6 months with a brokerage firm. They knew the importance of starting strong. I’m not tooting my own horn, I’m just illustrating how we all (myself included, trust me!) need to come out charging. Nuff said. · He will be judged on the first 100 days. All presidents are heavily scrutinized, and the U.S.A. sure is in need of some turnaround right now. Out actions, our results will be judged as well. We most likely will never face the media attention given the leader of the free world, but we will be judged. Perhaps you work for a company, for example, that has compensation incentives based on your first 30, 60, or 90 days results. That is being judged. Maybe you have a higher judge: yourself! It could be a new business rollout, or maybe a personal fitness plan you’ve committed to. Either way, you’ll want to assess your efforts, the results, and the outcomes after some period of time.
Let’s all set targets, act in a manner consistent with our inner values, come out strong, and see how much difference we can make in this world during whatever we define as our “first 100 days”.
onward,
alan
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Alan Stout
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(281) 658-5615 alan@801Concepts.com al
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I’m a note-taker. Whether it be in client meetings, staff meetings, classes, or training calls lead by other leaders: I want a history of it. It’s a great way to capture the knowledge accumulated by others, then you can access it later as the need arises.
This archive can meet the same need. For me, it’s a journal of where I’ve been, and hence, where I’m going. You can use it to grab what you’ve missed, or simply to get more of a flavor of where I’m coming from.
Happy hunting. |
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