Five Frogs Are Sitting On A Log…
“Five frogs are sitting on a log. Four decide to jump off. How many are left? Five, because deciding is different than doing.”
What is the meaning of this riddle? Allow me to state the obvious. Just because four frogs “decide” to jump off the log doesn’t mean any of them actually jumped.
Does this ever happen in your business? A decision is made to go in a certain direction, or take on a particular project. Everyone is smiling and nodding their head at the meeting. But afterwards nothing happens.
Why??? Commitment.
Deciding IS different than doing. Ask yourself these questions. Does everyone have:
- Clarity: We have a viable plan, a process to accomplish it
- Confidence: We have trust in the plan, the process, the people, the system
- Competency: We have the skills to accomplish it
- Collection of past experiences: Are past experiences causing us to disbelieve that we can be successful?
If there are people on the team that don’t have agreement with these “4 C’s of belief” then the probability of success is low. But is that all? No. You also need to regularly evangelize the project and build momentum around its progress. Regular reinforcement keeps its importance high in the minds of the team. Reviewing and holding people accountable to their roles and tasks both individually and as a team also keeps the juices of success flowing.
This is really about getting and keeping everyone focused on the outcome. Regular, small successes build enthusiasm and momentum to keep the project moving toward completion. Recognizing individuals or groups for their accomplishments also helps maintain enthusiasm.
Try it. You’ll be amazed at how much faster you can move mountains.