“Roger, Wilco!”

Sitting on my deck, with fresh brewed coffee, breakfast, and a good book.  Cooper, my 3-year old Golden Retriever, is entranced and antagonized by the ground squirrel exploring the back yard (likely looking for more annoying places to dig tunnels).

Out of sheer laziness (my current books are all upstairs), on my way to the deck, I picked up the dogeared copy of Peter Block’s brilliant The Answer to How is Yes.  It’s been several years since I last read this piece, and, as usual, in just the first several pages, I’ve gleaned new insights and perspective.  Block is fantastic for doing that no matter how many times you’ve read his works.

“Roger, wilco.”

It’s military jargon meaning, “We will comply.” Both as an infantry scout and a linguist flying off the coast of North Korea or Russia, we used this phrase daily, perhaps even hourly.  It was a hard-wired part of the culture.

Take a military objective?  Consider it done.  Obtain a piece of vital information?  No problem.  Sacrifice for the greater good?  Without question.

In recent months (as evidenced by many of my blog entries), I’ve been reflected increasingly on my years in the military, on the heritage it provided to me, and the lessons in leadership, teamwork, and simply about people have been remarkable.

I don’t know the origin of the expression “Improvise, Adapt, and Overcome,” but it speaks to the same message in Block’s book.  Stop thinking about why we might not be able to accomplish a task, and focus instead on simply figuring it out.

I should emphasize that “getting it done” was not without challenges.  But rather than dwell on the difficulties of making something happen, we simply set about overcoming any obstacles in our path.  With the framework of the Code of Conduct and the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ), we approached each directive with confidence in our abilities to meld creativity, experience, and sheer gusto.

So, if you haven’t read The Answer to How is Yes, I’d strongly suggest it make your “short list,” of future books.  It’s an easy read, yet markedly poignant and articulate in getting us to look beyond the challenges and difficulties that perhaps would sidetrack or permanently sideline so many in our society.  Let’s be those who do “improvise, adapt, and overcome,” not those who focus on questions of “how” will we get things done.

Say it with me……”Roger, wilco!”

One Shot, One Kill: Targeted Self-Development

First thing every morning, I scan the “Twittersphere” for the latest and greatest thoughts and resources.  I recently came across an article by Jennifer Sertl, in which she promotes a self-knowledge exercise she calls your “Elite 18.” Simply stated, it’s a self-developed listing of those individuals outside of your current peer group from whom you drawn inspiration and aspiration. It’s a great idea, particularly as a foundation for targeting your own development, both from a knowledge standpoint, but also with regard to articulating the type of person and professional you’d like to be.

One of the hurdles of self development is knowing how best to winnow down the multitude of topics and knowledge areas from which we could individually grow. Too often, without a true sense of where our own skills, interests, and passions lie, we turn to the book du jour, recommended on the pages of our favorite professional periodicals and websites. Not that this is a bad way of staying on top of the latest trends and ideas in our field. But it’s frequently a vine that quickly whithers when our interest wanes or the next popular idea emerges. Then it’s back to square one.

The fact is, there are more books, articles, YouTube videos, and TED talks than most of us can get through. Sure, we can take a shotgun approach to which ones we pick up, or we can adopt a more strategic approach. We can become self-development snipers, honing a “one shot, one kill” accuracy to where and how we grow professionally and intellectually.

Whether using an approach like Ms. Sertl describes or not, it is useful to spend time up front determining where you can get the biggest bang for your buck…and your buck is typically an effort and energy resource.

So, your challenge over the next week is this:

• Block out time – I’ve said it before. Don’t take for granted that you’ll find time throughout the week for this. Actually at least 30 minutes on your calendar and stick to it!
• Create your own “Elite 18″ – These can be living or deceased people. The point is to identify those individuals who engender aspects of life to which you aspire.

or, if the “Elite 18″ doesn’t appeal to you…..

• Hold a personal brainstorm – Allow your focus to alternate between professional ideals and goals and personal attributes toward which you want to move.
• Research thought leaders – Instead of casting a wide net, target the individuals or ideals you identified to determine the action planning needed to become the person you want to be.
• Schedule regular self-development time – Put time each week toward self-development. Aim for an hour every three days as a minimum. Spend this time reading, watching noteworthy talks and presentations, and listening to podcasts. But make sure the resources you choose move you in the direction of your self-development goals.
• Hold yourself accountable – Many of us establish placeholders on our calendars, but too often allow other “priorities” to bump these reserved times. Nothing will hold more long-term value than your own self-development. So, make it your #1 priority, and stick with it. The rest of your calendar will benefit from your dedicated, and continuous learning.

Despite the myriad of great new books and trends that emerge nearly weekly, pay attention only to those that move you personally and professionally toward your individual self-development goals.  Trust me, if the rest are that impactful, others around you will educate you as to their meaning.

Remember, one shot….one kill.  So, put down the information shotgun and become a self-development sniper!

2012 Goals: Publicize for Accountability

As mentioned in previous articles, one of the keys to accomplishing goals is to publicize them, thus holding yourself accountable to more than just you. When others are aware of your goals, they not only increase the likelihood that you’ll follow through. Your goals become part of your “inner circle’s” collective goals. Others will encourage you. They will question you. They will push you when you need pushing. And oftentimes, they will step in when you need a much needed extra hand.

In that spirit, here are some of my personal and professional goals for 2012. Please help hold me accountable and help me to achieve them!

2012 Professional Goals:

• Launch a comprehensive veterans’ service center in Madison
• Double my affiliated partnerships with other consulting organizations
• Focus on being a responsive and engaging teacher
• Enhance my instructional design and online teaching competencies
• Complete my dissertation and earn my doctorate

2012 Personal Goals:

• Spend more quality time with my daughters
• Focus more energy on strengthening friendships and relationships with others
• Find and volunteer no less than one day each month to a non-profit organization
• Complete no less than four half marathons
• Set personal best time in the Kortelopet cross-country ski race

If you have goals of your own, please include them in the comments section here, or contribute to the wiki I’ve created (https://tnagleedgewood.wikispaces.com/2012+Goals) . Let’s build a community of support, encouragement, and joint accountability.