Better Insights, Better Results
Some books and authors change how we think.
I was catching up with an old friend and I was distilling some of my favorite books into one-liners to show the contributions of various authors. He suggested I share them as a post, so here it is ...
One of the models that helps me cope with learning new skills is the 4 stages of competence. It helps remind me of the progression from the early awkward stage to the competent stage. According to the model, you move from unconscious competence to unconscious competence.
I’m a fan of using checklists to improve results. Checklists are powerful tools for jogging your memory, reducing stress, and sharing know how. Fighter pilots use checklist effectively to eliminate task saturation, take away workload, and avoid forgetting something critical. Many businesses use checklists to train new hires as well as run everyday operations.
When you name something it’s powerful. You have a way to reference it and share it with others. Patterns are named problem and solution pairs. They are a simple way to build and share a catalog of knowledge. You can use patterns to efficiently share strategies or principles. Rather than 100 words, you can use one word. Practices are methods or techniques. They are “how” you do something. By leveraging patterns and practices, you can improve your ability to get results. Basically, it’s a way to build a mental toolbox of insight and action to draw from.
“3 take aways” is one of my favorite ways to chop information down to size. I also use it to make the most of a meeting or training session. All I do, is ask myself, "what are 3 take aways?" Does it sound simple? That’s the idea. It helps you avoid becoming overwhelmed. It also …
