Breakthroughs are overrated

Once upon a time there was a couple named John and Jane and their marriage was in big trouble.They wanted to fix things, so they went to see a marriage counselor.The marriage counselor listened to their problems and advised them to wait 6-months until Valentine’s Day, go have a spectacular date – really pull out all the stops, and that should fix things. John and Jane were taken aback.”Isn’t there anything we should be working on on a daily basis?” They asked.“Nope,” replied the counselor, “just carve out some time once a year for a massive gesture and your relationship will be saved.I expect this little work of fiction sounds incredibly stupid to you, because it’s obvious that a healthy relationship requires a lot more care and feeding than an annual blockbuster event can provide.The same thing applies to the growth and development of your people.The annual conference you send them to can be a huge benefit to them, but it’s not enough.The annual review is important, but it can’t be the primary feedback they get from you.The quarterly training is helpful, but only if its content is put into routine practice.Growth isn’t the result of the thing you do once in a while, it’s the result of the thing you practice.OPPORTUNITY FOR ACTION: Instead of focusing most of your effort on the annual retreat or the annual reviews, spend the bulk of your time thinking about the daily, weekly, and monthly habits that are helping you and your team level up with consistency.My free PDF, “100 Questions for Better 1-1 Meetings,” will help you upgrade the 1-1 conversations with your people so you can easily unearth their hidden potential and uncover valuable insights about your organization. Grab it today!