A misc. collection of quotes that may or may not be relevent
"Most things have more than a single purpose, which obviously complicates how they must be designed and how they therefor can fail. the more complicated the design problem, naturally the more difficult the solution and hence the more likely that some details and features may be overlooked, only to have their absence come to the fore after the thing is manufactured or built and put to the test of use."
"Successful design, whether of solid or intangible things, rest on anticipating how failure can or might occur."
--Henry Petroski, 'Success through Failure: the paradox of design'
Here are four pillars to consider for harnessing the power of belief:
1. Be worthy of it.
Don't even think about going after what's possible with belief if you're not willing to be authentic and real. Remember the classic line from King Arthur, "you are the land, and the land is you." When you're in a healthy, authentic place, there is transference to your organization. Don't think this is trivial. In my experience, it is the root challenge in most organizations.
2. Encourage it.
You may find that there are so many caustic, cynical people in most modern organizations that it feels more hip to be flip, to deride those who dare to care about making a difference. Have the courage to fight this feeling. As long as you authentically believe, encourage others to as well. The result will be more than worthwhile for you and for the people in your organization starving for something worthy of their extra effort.
3. Create a safe place for it.
The minute you and others begin believing, the attacks will start. Be careful. Often, the people who come at you are folks who've been burned by belief in the past; and they will play out their psycho-drama on you and others with vitriol you cannot imagine. Verbal aggression, cultural bullying, and much, much more may come your way. Confront it; stand up for those who are going the extra mile without fail. In particular, protect the absent in meetings and side conversations --this is where much of the cultural belief bashing takes place.
4. Be real with it.
Don't skimp on this one. If you're not a tough-minded realist about what's working and what's not, belief will backfire. The cynics will have a field day. Unfortunately, some people think that just because they care, because they believe, because they try hard, what they are doing is valuable. Nope. If you really believe in making a difference, check and check often if your strategies are working. Whether your desired outcome is learning, profit, or efficiency, make sure you are tireless is testing your assumptions. In addition, do not hesitate to take action, confront negative behavior, separate poor performers and cultural-poison spreaders from the love of the institution, and follow through on your promises, or else. Your credibility is everything.
--Mark Milliron http://catalyticconversations.blogspot.com/
