In the classic song, What A Difference A Day Makes, Dinah Washington sings, “What a difference a day makes, twenty-four little hours brought the sun and flowers where there used to be rain.” This theme reminds us that in a short period of time, creative actions can produce big differences.
There are people who, when confronted with an opportunity to make a difference, opt out and choose the ordinary, the common, the familiar, the safe. But, if you want to make a difference be reminded of the words of Robert Frost, Two roads diverged in a wood, and I... I took the one less traveled by, and that has made all the difference. Often it is the less traveled road, the less popular position, the seemingly less rewarding choice that will make the extraordinary difference. Mediocrity is an anathema to a Difference Maker.
Difference Makers believe that their own actions, and not those of someone else, are the cause of their success or failure. Therefore, to be a Difference Maker you must:
1. Be willing to take risks. Don’t allow fear to overcome your desire to make a difference. Fear often leads to procrastination. Do. Any action might fail. But, if you don’t try, you guarantee failure. Start doing so you can become a difference maker.
2. Keep up with the latest technologies and innovations in your field. At a minimum you must constantly develop your skills that lead to the next level.
3. Be passionate about what you do. A competitive spirit under control can move mountains.
4. Be committed to what you are doing. Commitment has its foundation in confidence. Confidence plus desire produces commitment.
5. Provide answers to the problems. Many people are problem bearers; they are like Chicken Little only proclaiming, "the sky is falling." A difference maker identifies the correct problem and suggests plausible solutions.
6. Seek counsel from other stake holders and be open to making adjustments or corrections in your proposed plan. A committee is often not the best way to solve a problem, but a small group dedicated people can, using their combined experiences and creative abilities, design a plan that no single person could develop.
7. Be service-oriented. Make the lives of customers and associates better, easier, and more rewarding. Serve and there is no limit to reward.
If you are not making a difference in your position maybe you are not in the right position or you are not the right person for the position. Either way, it’s an untenable situation and must be corrected. "Don’t let what you cannot do,” wrote John Wooden, “interfere with what you can do.” Anyone with talent and desire can make a difference given that they are in a position to do so. If you consciously work to make a difference and find yourself unable to make that difference, consider finding another position in your current organization or finding another organization.
Making a difference is something you can do and do ever day. Your goal should be to get better at it. Each day is a new opportunity to travel the less traveled road.
You will never know the difference you can make until you began to make a difference. In the process of making a difference you become a better person and you come closer to achieving your purpose for being on planet earth.
HOG THOUGHT: The need for difference makers has never been greater. If you live each day to make a difference, you will be successful in your job and your personal life.
HOG QUOTE: “It's easy to make a buck. It's a lot tougher to make a difference.” —Tom Brokaw
HOG ACTION: Choose to be known as a difference maker. Challenge yourself to go out each day and make a difference by answering these three questions:
1. What will I do today to make a difference?
2. What am I doing today to make a difference?
3. What did I do today to make a difference?
No comments:
Post a Comment