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October 2005

Set the Tone for the Day in 8 Minutes Flat

Let The Day Begin

 

By Beverly Floyd

 

 

What can busy Executives possibly learn from an eight minute chat between a young girl and her father?

 

Since my husband was transferred to Brunswick, Maine with the U.S. Navy, my daughters and I have had to adopt a daily ritual to keep our lives organized and on schedule.  Our weekday starts at 6:00 a.m., getting ready for school and work, and at 7:00 a.m., I drive my 10 year old daughter to the bus stop.  During the eight minutes until the bus arrives, she and her father converse on the cell phone about what they have eaten for breakfast, what they dreamt the night before, what special activities they have planned for the day, and then my daughter counts the days leading to his next trip home. 

 

While they are engaged in conversation, my job is to simply lookout for the bus.  At approximately 7:08 a.m., the bus approaches.  I alert my daughter, who quickly wraps up her conversation, “The bus is coming … I love you, Dad … Have a good day!”  She then makes a dash for the bus, filtering through the congregating groups of parents seeing their children off to school, “Excuse me.  Excuse me.”  Her day has officially begun, in eight minutes flat!

 

Similarly, my older daughter has a special morning chat with their father.  Both conversations are always positive and clearly set the tone for the girls’ day.

 

After listening to the same pointless dialog for over a year, today, I came to a new conclusion about these eight crucial minutes and how leaders in business can set the tone for the day in eight minutes flat.

 

What did you eat for breakfast? 

Breakfast is the fuel of champions!  How can you provide nourishment to stimulate the creative minds and passions of your team? 

 

Do you know what I dreamt last night? 

Share Dreams.  When is the last time you shared the corporate or team vision, with the people you lead?  Do you know the individual aspirations of your team members?  Do you and your team recognize how each person fulfills a part of the corporate dream?

 

What are you doing today? 

Focus on the daily.  What can be done each day to get the person, the team, and the company eight hours closer to the dream?  

 

You’re coming home in x-amount of days! 

Count Down!  Does your team have a date, to which they can look forward?  Do they know how and when their results will be measured?  Do they anticipate a reward for their diligent efforts?   

 

Last week, I listened to a recorded broadcast of the Lead Like Jesus encounter workshop.  One of the speakers discusses that in order to lead like Jesus, we have to become like Jesus – and in order to become like Jesus, we need to develop the habits of Jesus.  The first habit, she mentions, is “Time Spent with the Father.”  Jesus knew what his Father wanted him to do, because he spent time engaging with his Father.  Likewise, your team will understand the vision, expectations and the critical role they play, through the quality of time they spend conversing with you.  

 

Let the day begin!  

 

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