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I know this week's quote may seem strange for
business use at first glance, but — be assured —
appearances can be deceiving.
It's not so much the specific words
spoken in this week's quote, but what they represent that makes the quote
a powerful tool for use in the business place. So, read on . . .
Ric Moxley – Managing Editor
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That's one small step for man, one giant leap for
mankind.
— Neil Armstrong
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Key Point
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In speaking
these now-famous words as he stepped off the landing module and onto
the moon July 20, 1969, Neil
Armstrong used language to create a monument — a milestone. Consider
the thousands upon thousands of human resource hours and millions upon
millions of dollars spent getting those astronauts to the moon for the
first time. But think for a moment; was that really NASA's goal? No —
getting a man on the moon was just half of the goal. Getting him back to earth was
certainly no less difficult or less important.
Neil Armstrong
could have saved these words for their return to earth ("One small
splash in the ocean for man..."). Instead, he commemorated the
NASA crew's halfway point — reaching the moon. The moon landing itself
was significant, not just because John F. Kennedy said America would do it
first, but because humanity had achieved the impossible. Armstrong
recognized that everyone back at NASA needed to pause and consider the
significance of their individual efforts.
"But I am not flying to the moon anytime soon,"
you say. "How does Armstrong's quote apply to me in the
workplace?"
As anyone in business management or leadership will
experience, there is a danger hidden in the focus of energies required
to tackle a project of gargantuan proportions. Project participants
become locked into a kind of tunnel vision — a state of mind in which
the nuts and bolts of the participant's duties
become more important than the overarching mission of those duties.
The result? Objectivity goes out the window. Individuals start
squabbling, because, without a vision — without a conscious remembrance
of the ends to which the project is the means — one's personal
contributions become the reason. Everyone else's contributions become
intrusions or competitive efforts. The team falls apart. The project
may soon follow!
When you are starting a business, launching a new service
or product, assembling a major proposal, reorganizing a business or
team, engineering solutions to a daunting client problem; when you are taking on any challenging effort,
what can you do to keep yourself and your team motivated? Brain drain
or physical exhaustion will
occur and can cause you or your team to lose willpower, unless you can
do something to keep everyone focused on the objective. How?
Use Milestones — Create Monuments
A milestone, according to The American Heritage®
Dictionary, is an important event; a turning
point. But the dictionary also describes a milestone as, "A stone
marker set up on a roadside to indicate the distance in miles from a
given point." This is, of course, the literal definition. Remember
the literal definition when you wish to commemorate that important
event or turning point — make the milestone event significant by
creating a tangible marker: a monument. And don't wait until you
complete the project — create memorable milestones along the way to
generate enthusiasm and purpose. That is precisely what Neil Armstrong
did with those monumental words.
Webster's Dictionary describes a monument as something which stands, or remains, to keep in
remembrance what is past. Wise leaders recognize and seize
opportunities to create monuments. It can be a physical thing, or it
can be as simple as a defining verbalization — something which they or
others will remember beyond the moment. In the tradition of many
civilizations, a monument would often be a pile of rocks
which, on an otherwise barren landscape, revived the
significance of what happen in this spot whenever the monument was
seen. A modern-day version of this: what do most of us do after
reaching a major weight loss or muscle-building goal? We take a
picture! That is our visual reminder of what we achieved — a reminder
of what we don't want to lose.
Neil Armstrong created something as tangible and enduring
as a stone monument when he stepped onto the moon and spoke that tiny
little sentence. Just words? Yes, but never underestimate the power of words
to make a lasting impression. Imagine being one of the crew members or engineers back at NASA, watching and
listening to this historic event unfolding. When Armstrong spoke those
words, what a tremendous sense of pride must have swelled up in their chests!
So many lines of computer code, so many bolts riveted: but this is what it was all about.
Now,
they could never forget.
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Marketing Value
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How do you sell something ugly? War, for
instance? Whether you are for or against specific decisions of
entering a war, humanity is of one accord in that we'd rather avoid it.
How is Bush marketing the war? By turning the focus from the
unavoidable horror and devastation of war to the higher calling of
noble objectives. He speaks about freeing a people from tyranny; about preventing another 9/11 event. Then, to
soldiers and to civilians who accept these aims, any bloodshed can be
justified by the nobler objectives.
Is this promotional technique new? Hardly. But effective?
Look at the historical evidence. Why did Nathan Hale say, "I
regret that I have but one life to give for my country," instead
of, "Somebody get me out of here!"?
I suspect he knew that the words he chose would not only instill
personal bravery, but also inspire his compatriots, spurring them on.
Lincoln used similar
motivations in his famous speech at Gettysburg, following
one of the bloodiest battles in history. He said, "We cannot consecrate . . . this
ground. The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have
consecrated it, far above our poor power to add or detract. The world
will little note, nor long remember, what we say here, but it can never
forget what they did here."
At this point in his address, Lincoln has turned
the seemingly senseless shedding of blood into a noble sacrifice for a
great cause. His words have dutifully humbled his audience. They see
their relative insignificance to that of those who died here. Lincoln
then turns the battle of Gettysburg into a milestone that serves to
move people beyond the sadness of death and onto the unfinished task
ahead: "It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here . .
. to the great task remaining before us . . . increased devotion to
that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion."
These were convicting words, rallying those listening to
what they must now do. But did he consider those words sufficient to
spur on his listeners to action? No — Lincoln also needed
to burn their conscience with words that would give them strength
during the difficult times they surely would experience. To do this, he
added these galvanizing words of noble purpose: "We resolve that
these dead shall not have died in vain . . . that government of the
people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the
earth." (Click
here get the full text of his Gettysburg address, or click
here to view Lincoln’s handwritten original notes from the speech)
When you must
motivate yourself or others to action when faced with an unpopular
task, learn from Nathan Hale and Abraham Lincoln; turn the focus away
from the arduous journey. Turn the focus toward the nobility of the
objective.
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In Speaking and
Writing . . .
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The easiest way for leaders to commemorate
significant progress effectively is to plan for it. Analyze the project
before it begins, looking for milestone opportunities that are likely
to arise. Write down the significant steps and milestones, then plan now how you will commemorate those moments
when they arrive. Some ideas:
· Have a
champagne toast. Mention the specific accomplishments of individuals
that made this milestone possible.
· Find a famous
quotation suitable to the achievements at hand. Or, create a memorable
quotation that's right for the moment. Memorize the quote you plan to
speak, then create a focused event — a dramatic pause in the flow of
the project — to help the team gather perspective.
· Give the group
a gift. Consider having a masseuse drop in and spend a few moments with
each team member. I assure you — that will never be
forgotten! Consider giving a tangible gift to the team —
something that stays in the work area, such as a water cooler, a boom
box, or a trophy. Make sure there is a plaque attached to the gift,
forever reminding them that the gift commemorated the achievements that
their individual efforts made possible. Matching T- shirts or caps with
some well-chosen words can do this as well. When you present the gift,
let them know why you are doing this — that you recognize the many
individual achievements and their significance to the overall
accomplishments of the team.
· Take the team
to a movie, or rent one. This milestone technique is particularly
effective if you choose a movie relevant to the team's accomplishments.
For example, there are plenty of movies that
demonstrate success through teamwork when facing overwhelming odds,
such as Apollo 13, Places in the Heart, or Saving Private Ryan.
When the movie has stopped, compare the significance of what the team
is working on to what they just saw in movie. This will make a lasting
impression, motivating the team onward with gusto.
· If time
doesn't allow a complete movie break, pick a key scene or two from the
movie. You will still be creating a memorable event and achieving the
same results.
Don't always resort to spending
money. Well-chosen words can be the most powerful monuments. The phrase
"Remember the Alamo!" did
more to encourage the troops to win Texas from Mexico than any
"Go, team, go!" T-shirts could do. The words "One small
step for man . . ." were ultimately more valuable to NASA than any
happy hour bash. Spend thought first, money second.
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Beyond the Workplace . . .
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Stephen Covey talks about the
basic human needs being the need to live, to love, to learn, and to
leave a legacy. We won't go into those in detail here (you can read
about it in his book
First Things First: To Live, to Love, to Learn, to Leave a Legacy).
But, as a leader of a business or of a family, it's worth remembering
these human needs. An effective leader seeks ways to assure that a
person feels valued — that what they do has value — by meeting these
needs.
When faced with a major challenge,
creating monuments or milestones will touch some of these human needs, restoring
purpose in the drudgery or sweat of the work at hand. It may not be fun
to mow the lawn, even less so for a teen to trouble themselves
with the effort of doing the job well. Can you appeal to a higher
purpose using milestones or monuments? Certainly! For example:
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Make sure your teen hears about it
when a neighbor says something complementary about your lawn.
·
Point out moments of excellence in
your teen's lawn work to encourage consistent excellence in the future
("You sure have a knack for keeping your lines straight," or,
"Look how nicely you've trimmed around this fence!").
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Commemorate an advance in quality by
taking him out to dinner to celebrate.
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Remind him that excellence is a sign
of maturity. All teenagers long to be thought
of as mature, so you are then appealing to your teen’s nobler motives.
Milestones and monuments in
business or in the home serve to commemorate significant achievements.
Do not just use them to recognize those who deserve merit, but to remind
all team or family members that they are each contributing to something
great.
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What is Your Favorite Quote?
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Do you have a favorite quote that has either served
you inspirationally in the workplace or has been a nice bit of spice in
speech or in writing? Write
and tell us about it. We may feature your quote in a future issue
to inspire others.
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Let WriteWorks Help
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Are you searching for the right turn of phrase and
not sure if you've got it? Whether for a
speech or for written communication, call on WriteWorks when your words
need to count. We can wordsmith your proposals, presentations,
articles, reports, speeches, brochures, manuscripts, help files or
instruction manuals to assure that they succinctly and effectively
bring home your message. With our extensive network of freelance
writers and editors, we can quickly find the perfect writer to ensure
the success of your communications. Contact us to discuss your needs
and learn how easy — and beneficial! — it is
to do business with us.
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