2015 Lessons Learned are In! It’s all about ACTION…!

2015 “lessons learned” are in! A BIG THANK YOU to all who contributed…

Just a little context before we jump in…This is the second year I’ve conducted a “Lessons Learned Exchange” at Blue Ink, asking readers to contribute 2 lessons from the past year (see the comments below).

The objective is three-fold: 1) learn and build on the past i.e. “look back to live forward”, 2) benefit from real firsthand experience – life experiences leave “deep marks” and always beat abstract concept, 3) leverage the “community effect” – rooted in the belief that giving “life knowledge” to another person is an invaluable gift.

Although I’ve summarized the main lessons below, my conclusion is that the theme of 2015 was the importance of ACTION! – moving forward, learning from failure, iterating, being proactive in relationships… etc. (interesting to compare to last year’s theme, read here).

As you read the list below, see if you can identify with this central theme…Do you agree? Are there others? Is there something that really resonated with you? Agree? Disagree?

  1. Don’t over-prioritize. Do the work that is in front of you. Don’t get so far-sighted that you miss opportunities today.
  2. Know when good enough is good enough. Don’t waste time on perfection – it’s costly, often assumes a false standard and that we can get there in “one shot.” Putting something out there and iterating on it often takes you further.
  3. Keep serving. Live in the solution, not the problem. Looking for ways to be part of a better outcome often takes the blame off of assigning blame and gets us looking forward.
  4. Be agile and adapt in a changing environment. Be aware of what is happening in your environment. Don’t assume that what started as “the right approach” is still the right approach.
  5. Be aware of perception. The way you come across is often different than what you intended. Take deliberate steps to find out how you are perceived and adjust accordingly.
  6. You’re not a fit for everything. Great opportunities don’t necessarily mean great opportunities for YOU. Understand your giftedness and talents and look for the right match to maximize your contribution.
  7. Change often comes in daily increments. We often think of a big change coming being linked to a monumental event. However, most successful change comes in small steps repeated every day.
  8. “Culture eats strategy for breakfast (Peter Drucker).” While vision, goals, strategy…are important. A healthy organizational culture provides the fruitful soil for all of these to be truly effective and take root.
  9. Long term vision enables emotional stability…It allows us to position present success or failure in its proper place – reasonable joy in happy times (understanding there’s more needed), perseverance in tough times (understanding that failure is a learning opportunity and necessary for success).

Again, a HUGE THANK YOU to all who contributed. What’s your take on the lessons above? Any reaction?…others that come to mind as you read?

Picture: www.churchplanting.com

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