August 2011

Dear Greg:

Welcome to Plan-Perform-Score! These Insight Bites focus on ideas, thoughts, and tools to alter perspective and improve performance.

 Your Pace and Effort Matter

During a recent morning bike ride I noticed several groups of squirrels that were trying to go six different directions at the same time. Meanwhile the rabbits I passed were very deliberate and focused in their movements.

This reminded me of years ago playing squash with my friend Dave. At the time I was in pretty good shape and 5 years younger than Dave who was carrying around an extra 20 pounds. All that became  insignificant when we started to play. Dave used to toy with me like a sadistic cat does with mice. He would have me running hither, thither and yon while he never wasted an extra step of effort. He always knew exactly where to be to return my shots while I was clueless how replicate that behavior. I would expend energy like crazy until Dave decided it was time to end this charade and he would dump a low shot on the front wall which sent me sprawling in some pathetic spastic crash. Then we would reload and do it all over again.

The lesson here, besides that Dave was a superbly better player, is that pace and effort matter in what we do. If you can control your pace with well placed effort you'll expend less energy and resources to obtain superior results. A well thought out strategy with coordinated action by a well trained and skilled team is a powerful advantage. The challenge is to assess both how effective your actions are and how efficiently you perform them. I hope my athletic shortcomings inspire you.

Quote & Note

"If you are falling off a cliff you might as well try to fly. You've got nothing to lose."

This is clever and conveys a humorous visual. However, there is some utility in the message. If the rules of the game in your business or markets have changed dramatically maybe something that didn't work in the past is worth another try. The timing and circumstances of an idea can be important so keep track of your options.

Management Law

Roger's Rule:

Authorization for a project will be granted only when NONE of the authorizers can be blamed if the project fails but when ALL of the authorizers can claim credit if it succeeds.

This must be in the "playbook" of politicians in Washington. It captures Potomac reality well.

Roger's Rule is a distorted version of the old expression "it's amazing how much can be accomplished when no one cares who gets the credit." The depressing fact is why the focus in most organizations is on the "who can we blame" aspect.

Check this out:PGA Patriot Day Golf: http://www.playgolfamerica.com/index.cfm?action=patriot

Over the Labor Day weekend PGA of America sponsors this nationwide event to raise scholarship funds for children and spouses of military men and women killed or disabled while serving our country. Please visit the website to find a nearby course & PLAY GOLF AMERICA.

We welcome your feedback on this and all issues of Plan-Perform-Score! Please e-mail your comments to: GPashke@PashkeConsulting.com

 If you'd like to tour The One Page Planning & Performance System (TOPPPS) with built in scorecards and performance reports, please call Greg Pashke at (772) 528-3871 or e-mail: GPashke@PashkeConsulting.com

August 2011