Neil Hernandez's Blog

Biggest decisions are the small decisions

In life we all make supposedly big decisions like what neighborhood do I choose to live, what schools should I send my kids to, who should be my spouse, and what career path to take. Every day, no every moment, however we have to make a decision. In the long run which decisions have a greater impact on your life? The answer is all of them. Life is a series of making small decisions every moment. It is the person who makes the best decisions at these supposedly small moments, who in the long run will make a big difference.

It's decisions like:

• should I eat just the bagel in the morning or should I add fattening cream cheese
• should I put a greater conscious effort in conserving gas as I drive
• maybe it would be better for my long term health if I decide to go for a quick walk outside instead of spending an extra 20 minutes on the web surfing
• I should start working an extra 5 minutes earlier than I normally do so I can squeeze in that extra call
• Instead of thinking ten extra minutes about how the Cubs loss last night to the Dodgers, maybe I should spend an extra ten minutes thinking about my next best book to buy.

Little things make big things happen- and it starts with making the right small decisions.

Preparation

John Wooden, former legendary coach of UCLA basketball, was always prepared. He prepared his basketball practices prior to every practice down to the minute. He knew exactly what his team was going to do in any given practice down to the exact minute and he stuck to it. He was so good in this preparing that he could tell you exactly what his team did on a particular day for the last 10 years. Not only that, when he made the agenda for practice he looked at what he did in the past to see if he could improve that days practice.

Wooden perfected as close as anyone on the art of leadership and maximum performance for the teams he led. Can we use some of his examples in preparation to improve our own team's performance.

Recruiting is a two way street

Before talking to an individual about joining the organization, you first have to see evidence of his desire to be part of your organization. The last thing you want is someone who had to be talked into being there.  (from Wooden on Leadership)

When I recruit for a position - whether it is internally or for a client, I always want to see evidence that this person wants the job. How do I do this? BEFORE I talk about the open position, I always ask the candidate what they are looking for. What they are looking for has to match what we are looking for. If not- there will not be a fit. Recruiting should be a two-way street.