Information Technology Reference
In-Depth Information
As you start each day with these “what if” scenarios, ask yourself what is most
important for you to be doing today given your
responsibilities and commitments
.
As you make this assessment, never underestimate the value of the “less vis-
ible” tasks of
monitoring, analyzing, prioritizing, and guiding
.
2
Because I now
believe these techniques are critical to real and consistent performance, I
have developed a way to keep myself from falling back into the “going
through the motions
”
trap.
10.6 The Value of Small Changes to Aid Real and
Consistent Performance
I have found that by making
small changes continually
to my golf game check-
points, it allows my checkpoints to continually keep working. This is
counter-intuitive. The natural thought is:
If these checkpoints were working so well, why would I consider adjusting
them?
What I have found is that continually making very small conscious adjust-
ments keeps the gradual imperceptible creeping changes that are not in my
best interest—and have in the past caused my golf game to slip out of con-
trol—from actually occurring.
As an example, I now know exactly where my left thumb should lay on the
golf club, but each time I place it there I move it just slightly one way or the
other from where I think ideally it should be. This causes me to stay con-
scious, “always checking in with myself” to ensure I have not strayed too far
either way with the left thumb.
The reason I do this is that the only way I know to keep myself from falling
into the “going through the motions” trap is to keep changing things just a
bit, which in turn forces me to pay attention.
By allowing things to move “a little,” I keep things from moving “a lot.”
LESSON 1
Continual small changes can counter the normal tendency over time to
fall into the “going through the motions” trap, which is the root cause of
lost control.
2. Refer to the DART case study in Chapter 8 for more information on “less visible” tasks.
