Development 4 Managers.com

High Performance Outcomes

3 Secret Ingredients for High Performance Outcomes

Leading change and performance improvement.

Archimedes is credited with saying "Give me a place to stand and a lever long enough and I will move the world." The picture Archimedes paints is one of empowerment. Using his statement as a metaphor, Archimedes teaches us that with only 3 ingredients we can do what may otherwise seem impossible.

This lesson can be applied to us today in the workplace. Here are the 3 secret ingredients:

a) A solid foundation (a place to stand or fulcrum)
b) The right tools (the lever)
c) The knowledge to use them properly

When you look at nature, there are levers and foundations of all kinds, at the disposal of every animal. But only a few take advantage of these, and only humans study and measure their effectiveness for improvement.

In the jungle we call the corporate world, there are also many types of levers and foundations. But not every individual uses them. Only a few use them effectively, and even fewer do so efficiently. So what is missing? Why don't more people take advantage of the tools and resources around them to change their workplace for the better?

There are two things we cannot always control. We cannot control the tools at our disposal, but we can make an effort at seeking the best tool possible.

We cannot control my foundations, but we can make an effort at supporting them with the help of others. The one thing we can definitely control is our knowledge. We can make the choice to learn.

As long as we are willing to learn, we will continue to open possibilities for ourselves and others. As long as we are willing to discover new ways to use tools, or improve upon them, we can make a difference in the workplace. As long as we make the choice to learn the right thing for the right purpose, building a strong ethical and moral foundation, that difference we make in the workplace will be a positive one. It ought ot be our vision to become a catalytic agent for change in the workplace by lighting the fire of desire for knowledge and wisdom in those who want to make a better workplace.

Our mission ought to be to continue to seek learning challenges to expand our horizon of opportunities, and help others with a similar desire.

Finally, the primary goal of a manager should be to develop our staff's ability for critical thinking, strategy, resource management, and outcomes-based performance improvement.