I have a writer friend who has a dozen or more notebooks filled with random quotes, ideas, interesting facts, and even useless trivia and stick drawings. Why? Because a writing professor once told her “if you don’t write it down NOW, you’ll never get it back later.”
That simple observation is SO true. As we navigate through another busy month, I want to highlight an often-overlooked practice – documentation. It’s the simple process of writing everything down. And doing it NOW, not later.
It’s easy to tell ourselves we’ll get to it “when we have time,” but let’s be honest—time slips away faster than we think. You might believe you’ll remember every detail of that meeting or conversation, yet as the days pass, those small but significant pieces begin to fade from memory. The goal to documenting isn’t perfection; it’s about capturing the essence of what’s happening now. It’s preserving your thoughts and the insights of your team members at this moment. Get them written down and move on. They’ll be there when you need them.
I’ve found the easiest way to document is simply to start an online Word document and just start putting everything down freeform. Bullet points are fine, and so are incomplete sentences. Don’t worry if it’s messy – the goal is to get those thoughts down before they wander off (and they will). Oh, and if you’re willing to embrace some new technology, there are even apps that will take notes at a meeting and transcribe them for you. How handy!
While you’re at it, make documentation a standard practice for your entire team. Their contributions are crucial, and let’s be honest – some of them may be elsewhere by year’s end. Don’t lose that knowledge. While we all have the best intentions, our fast-paced environment often makes it difficult to revisit and record important information later. By prioritizing documentation now, you ensure that valuable knowledge doesn’t slip through the cracks. Making this part of your team culture has an added benefit, as well. It drives home the point that everyone’s insights are crucial, no matter what their role.
Let’s commit to this practice together. Set aside a few minutes each week to document discussions, decisions, and key moments. It will pay off in the long run, creating a valuable resource for everyone involved. Don’t wait for the perfect moment—act now and preserve what matters before it’s gone!
As we step into the new year, it’s the perfect time to take charge of your calendar. You know, there’s an old saying that “failing to plan is planning to fail,” and it’s true. Getting control of your calendar – and your time – is crucial to success. I want you to pause for a moment and schedule those important events – your board retreat, staff training, personal vacation, and any upcoming conferences for networking in your profession – right NOW.
Go ahead—block out those dates on your calendar! There are a number of benefits to getting these events down in black and white (or whatever colors you like most). For starters, you’re more likely to follow through with these plans because you’ve taken a proactive step in controlling your organization’s calendar. This simple step will help you avoid the “we have three big things planned for the same week” dilemma. And trust me, when you and your team see these events scheduled, excitement and anticipation will build, because everyone recognizes they will be well-planned and productive. With this one simple step, you’ll become the driver of your team’s success!
In our business, we’ve already mapped out our year. I know exactly when we’re attending two conferences, that my personal vacation to Colorado is planned for June, and when we’ll hold a mini retreat in the fall to create new content. Just the sight of these dates on my calendar fills me with a sense of expectation and excitement! I’ll be able to get the most out of those conferences, really enjoy that vacation, and be energized by the new ideas we generate at our retreat.
So, don’t let January be just a blip between the holidays before the first hint of spring. Block out some time on your calendar that you can look forward to. Planning events well in advance will not only enrich your professional life but also boost morale within your team. Remember, this proactive approach is far more fulfilling than just sending out endless Zoom calendar invites. Embrace the excitement of what’s ahead and make 2025 a year filled with purpose and positivity!
As we approach the end of another year, I find myself drawn to a cherished tradition – putting up ornaments. Each ornament tells a story, capturing moments of joy, growth, and even challenges. These ornaments serve as tangible reminders of my family’s past. Above all, they call me to pause and reflect, if only for a moment.
Interestingly, a number of the ornaments in my collection have direct connections to ISI Consulting, reflecting our journey through the years. Here’s a glimpse into some of them.
2017 – The Coat of Many Colors: This ornament symbolizes the year ISI Consulting was born. Just like Joseph’s coat, it represents our commitment to standing out and being a different kind of consulting firm. It embodies diversity, creativity, and the unique approach we bring to every client engagement.
2019 – The Acorn: This year was tough, much like an acorn representing growth through challenges. It taught us resilience and the importance of adaptation. Each setback became a stepping stone, shaping our organization into what it is today.
2021 – The Light Bulb: We survived COVID and kept the lights on. It symbolizes innovation, and the business reaching more states and regions than ever before.
2023– The Big Broken Bulb: A colleague gave me a large glass ornament that looked as if it had been broken and glued back together in pieces. She shared that it represented the Japanese art of kintsuke, which uses precious metals like gold or silver to repair broken pottery and treats breakage and repair as part of an object’s history. Just like people.
2024 – Two Snowmen Bundled Together: This year’s ornament signifies teamwork and support. We could not do the work we do without key partners and friends. Just like snowmen bundled together, our success relies on collaboration and the relationships we build.
I encourage you to start your own organizational tree of memories. Consider inviting each team member to share an ornament they selected to reflect on a key moment, achievement or lesson learned from the year. What are significant milestones that have shaped your organization? What projects or initiatives have made an impact? What challenges have you overcome together? Then in 2025, you can reflect on those moments as you hang individual ornaments back on the tree. Maybe there will be new team members around the tree, and those shared stories about key moments will prove an excellent way to build team cohesion and collective history. Give this a try, and I’m almost certain you’ll find it becomes a tradition your team embraces each year.
On behalf of ISI Consulting, we wish you all a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. May we all be reminded of the need for each other and Jesus Christ.
As Thanksgiving approaches, many of us find ourselves overwhelmed by the pressure to create elaborate meals that impress. Especially if we spend any time on social media, where perfection is the order of the day. But sometimes, the simplest dishes can bring the most joy. One of my go-to recipes, which I’m often asked to bring to gatherings, is deviled eggs. This delightful dish requires only four ingredients: eggs, mayo, mustard, and paprika. It’s a crowd-pleaser that reminds us that great flavors don’t have to be complicated.
This Thanksgiving, let’s embrace the beauty of simplicity. Instead of stressing over extravagant recipes, consider focusing on the essence of the holiday: gratitude and connection. Gratitude is simply a sense of thankfulness for what others have done. The trick is it requires us to look outside ourselves. And that brings us to connection. To finding common ground, creating links, and forming relationships with others. Gratitude and connection – two simple ingredients with profound impact.
Think about your own favorite simple recipes. What dish do you love that brings warmth to your table without a long list of ingredients? This year, challenge yourself to create a meal that showcases the flavors of the season without all the fuss. Simplifying our celebrations allows us to spend more time reflecting on what truly matters—sharing moments of thankfulness with family and team members.
In the spirit of gratitude, take a moment to express your appreciation to those around you. More than just family and friends, be sure to include the folks you work with, both in-person and over virtual platforms. It can be a simple text message, a phone call or even a warm hug. Strengthening bonds with one another is so important – remember we are sharper together.
As we prepare for Thanksgiving, let’s make this holiday about savoring time with loved ones, sharing gratitude, and enjoying the deliciousness of simplicity. Happy Thanksgiving!
I have a friend whose car has been sideswiped in parking lots twice in the last three years. Twice! Neither time did the other driver leave their contact or insurance information. But that’s another story. Each time, there was a long, unsightly dent along the entire side of the car. Fortunately, she has auto insurance, so deciding to fix the ugly gash wasn’t a difficult decision. Call the insurance company, get an estimate, schedule the repair, wait around for parts to arrive, pay the deductible, and fix the problem. Fuming fiercely about thoughtless drivers was optional.
But her car drama got me to thinking about the dents we all face. Fixing big dents – problems – in your work is almost always an easy choice. Fix them. They’re unsightly, damage your reputation, and generally make the rest of the project more difficult. If you want to be known for your skill and professionalism, you do what it takes to make things right. Just like fixing that big dent in the car.
But fixing a little dent can be quite another matter. You know, those dings you get when a rock tossed up by a truck tire hits your hood, or when the kids let the grocery cart bump into the tailgate little too hard. You don’t have to fix them. After all, most vehicles have a few little blemishes, and nobody notices. But gather up too many of them, and the car starts to look raggedy. Beat up. Something we’re not too happy to be driving.
Or…maybe we decide that we’re just fine driving a car with a few dents. It’s dependable. There’s no car payment. The kids are still young enough to spill juice boxes and snack crackers on a regular basis, and who wants muddy soccer cleats on pristine upholstery? And by now, we all know you can buy that new car smell in a spray can. Above all, it gets us where we need to go, and we’re not trying to impress the neighbors. We’re happy with some dents and dings.
Fixing those little dents in our work often means we have a deep commitment to quality. We want to consistently deliver our best efforts. I know that taking care of the little things often ensures the big ones take care of themselves. On the other hand, living with dents is a way to focus on what really matters, not just on what can be fixed. Are we willing to live with some imperfections to ensure every voice is heard? Are we working on early stages of a project that is bound to improve over time? Is this something where “good enough is good enough” or are we striving for perfection when it’s not necessary?
It’s the little dents that will make us ponder. But there’s nothing wrong with that.
How, when, and why we should delegate responsibility to someone else in our organization is one of the hardest challenges a leader faces. Done well, it empowers team members to grow and thrive in ways that make the entire organization stronger. Done poorly, it can quite literally destroy everything you’ve built. Delegation is not a blind handoff…it is a critical growth strategy. Essentially, it’s a well thought-out, step-by-step process that intentionally shifts the responsibility for particular functions, tasks, or decisions from one person on your team to another person who has been properly trained and is ready. Correctly done, delegation is the result of time spent on training, repetition, mistakes, growth, and earned trust. And it’s a critical strategy for growth.
Dave Ramsey uses the rope teaching metaphor to visualize the varying levels of trust needed for successful delegation. At first, you hold the rope tight enough that you can oversee everything. But as the person makes good decisions, you gradually lengthen the rope. Every step forward means a little more rope. Incompetence tightens the rope. All the while, though, you’re teaching them through training, repetition, mistakes (yes, they’re a given), and earned trust. When a team member consistently demonstrates two critical qualities – integrity and competency – you can trust them enough to delegate confidently.
As a leader, delegation allows you to focus on the big picture, with the confidence to know the everyday things are being handled completely and completely. It allows you to grow your organization with integrity and functionality. And it’s one of the best investments of your valuable time.
Would you like to do a deeper dive into how to make delegation an integral part of your organization? Check out Dave Ramsey’s book, “Delegation: The Most Rewarding, Frustrating…Awesome Part of Running Your Business.”
I’ve always loved swimming. In fact, I was actually part of a synchronized swimming team in college. So, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that one swimmer I’m always excited to see is Katie Ledecky. World record holder, winner of nine Olympic medals (including one as the youngest swimmer ever to win Olympic gold), and 21 world championships, she is widely considered to be the finest woman swimmer in the world. So how did she get there?
In her book, “Just Add Water,” Ledecky notes that a strong genetic line of persistence runs through her whole family. Once one of them gets an idea, they execute it. And that, in large part, is what has driven Ledecky since she started swimming at age 6. She hasn’t always had the best technique or the most natural ability. But when her coaches through the years have been asked what has enabled her to swim the way she does, their answer is inevitably the same: hard work. Ledecky has always believed that the effort she puts in today will pay off down the road. She believes in the swimming mantra “no shortcuts”. There are no shortcuts to developing the skill and stamina required to compete at the highest level, just as there are no shortcuts to the end of the pool…you have to swim all the way. Powering to the wall is how she wins races.
Ledecky has taken to heart a key theme I’ve seen in successful leaders in a variety of fields. She thrives not on winning, but on continuous, unrelenting improvement. A knowledge sponge, she takes feedback eagerly and implements change as soon as she can master it. Never one to hit the snooze button, she is willing to set scary goals and take the steps necessary to achieve them. For example, she has long set what she calls “want times”…ambitious swim times that were private, but which became more and more reasonable as her swimming improved. So, let me ask…are you setting stretch goals for yourself? Are you willing to seek out feedback, even if it might be hard to hear? Above all, are you willing to implement change and work diligently at that every single day?
Above all, Ledecky remembers the most important life lesson of all. Doing right takes commitment. And being successful hardly matters if you can’t look in the mirror and be proud of who you see looking back at you. Above all, what everyone else does in the pool isn’t your business. Your business is to do your absolute best with complete integrity. Every single lap.
As former White House press secretary Jen Psaki notes in her book “Say More: Lessons from Work, the White House, and the World” the first step in successfully navigating a difficult conversation is to accept mutual discomfort as inevitable. Someone is going to be uncomfortable saying something, and the other person is going to be uncomfortable hearing it. Whether it’s discussing the realities of racial and economic inequality, dealing with subpar employee performance, or announcing a new direction for your organization, we’re all going to feel that squirm inside.
One way to minimize the squirm is to remember the famous quote attributed to Maya Angelou: “People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” How we feel is closely tied to a sense of being truly hear. So, if you want to navigate difficult conversations, become a better listener. Learn to let people feel heard.
The best listeners do a lot more than just nod. Paying attention to what someone is saying is all about being present in the moment. Good listeners make the process collaborative and interactive. They lean in. Use what they already know to make a connection. Ask questions. Probe for more information. Repeat back what they think they’ve heard. And they’re willing to be a bit uncomfortable if it lowers the barrier to engagement.
In an environment where it seems everyone is shouting instead of engaging, learn to listen. It’s often the quietest voices in the room that have the most to say. No matter how hard the conversation might be, let them be heard.
I recently read “Creative Confidence: Unleashing the Creative Potential Within Us All”, by Tom Kelley and David Kelley. I’ve always known that creativity is a key leadership competency, and it has been an integral part of ISI Consulting because we embrace its power. The authors, though, stress that creative confidence is like a muscle – it can be strengthened and trained through effort and experience, and anyone can build it.
Creativity happens whenever we have the opportunity to generate new ideas, solutions, or approaches. It’s why we recognize that there can be many possible approaches to a problem, although all of them might not be worth implementing. Sometimes we don’t know until we try them out. Failure can be a great teacher. Remember, you didn’t learn to ride a bike by simply hopping on and riding off. You fell – probably more than once or twice – and then figured out how to balance better and pedal harder. Don’t be so afraid of failure that you don’t give something a shot.
Another way to spark creative action is to put a fence around it. I know, that sounds odd, but it’s not. At the end of a brainstorming session, you might have a hundred ideas on Post-It notes. Constrain the excess by focusing on a doable piece of the problem. What ideas could you explore in the next two hours? How can you make progress right now? This will keep you from the “everything, everywhere, all at once” dilemma.
Finally, create milestones. I’ve always found it incredibly helpful to have “mini-deadlines” to keep teams focused and their energy up. Especially during a long project, if you have a small portion due or a dry run scheduled, it’s easier to stay on track. And don’t forget to celebrate when you reach a marker…it will encourage everyone.
No matter what your next project is, I challenge you to unleash your creative confidence to empower your team and practically guarantee success.
A team member and I had a disagreement recently – she said family was an example of a value. I adamantly disagreed. “No,” I said, “family is a noun…it’s not a value.” That discussion led me to do some reflecting on what constitutes a value and what doesn’t. What I realized is that values are verbs. They are things we DO. They are how we ACT. And we live them out every day.
All too often, we talk about our core values, but we don’t live them out. As leadership guru Patrick Lencioni noted in a recent podcast, we stick them on a poster or a t-shirt, but we don’t operationalize them. They don’t become a part of how we act…every day, in every situation. An organization can claim integrity as a core value, but if they’re busy stealing intellectual property from a competitor, that claim quickly falls apart.
ISI Consulting just worked with a community group that identified “accessible” as a core value. Now, if you look it up in a dictionary, accessible is an adjective, not a verb. But the group’s description was all about actions and behaviors. They understood that any activity or initiative they undertook must be user-friendly, understandable, and easy to navigate. Now, do I need to see framed artwork in their conference room with the word “accessible” on it to know that this is a value? Heck, no! I see it on their website, in their presentations to the community, and in the programs they offer. Everything they do looks, feels, even tastes and smells, accessible. They live this core value.
Your organization should be the same. Your core values (and you shouldn’t have but two or three) should saturate every action you take. They should be behavioral attributes that everyone in the organization exhibits all the time. If they’re not, board members and team members should speak up. Ask yourself, “Are we really honoring this value?” If you’re not, it’s time for a change.
