It seems that hardly a daypart goes by this time of year
when you don’t encounter some sort of “resolution-for-the-new-year” piece.
This isn’t one of those – at least not exactly.
Instead it’s a two-fold challenge not just for this year but
for years to come: “What new things will you learn and how will you contribute
to an ‘environment of high expectations’?”
The challenge is different from a resolution in at
least two ways: the camera angle and the
ongoing opportunity factor.
Too often the camera angle on a resolution is directed at elimination
while we live in a world of creation. By continually
pointing your camera away from subtraction and toward addition – from adding great content
on the air to bringing new ideas to help clients – you'll always be thinking about adding value.
Adding value is related to the cultivation of high
expectations.
Successful athletes often point to how they’re continually challenged to
be their best by the actions and work ethics of their teammates. You’ve likely been in, or at least heard about,
this type of environment. It’s one that's either stimulating or uncomfortable, depending on
whether or not your focus is on making valuable contributions.
Way back when I used to write an annual New Year’s piece
that was like a pick-and-choose list of “radio resolutions.” For fun I reviewed that list (which ultimately
had grown to 60 ideas) over the holidays and decided that while many were still
relevant and valuable, they really were subsets of learning and of cultivating an
environment of high expectations. But presenting them as part of a check-off list gave them an unintended “finite” feel.
So here’s one more thought: when you challenge yourself to
learn new things and to be a daily contributor to (or perhaps a leader of) an
environment of high expectations, instead of subtracting something from a ‘to
do’ list, you open the door for an on-going, ever-growing, dare we suggest even
unlimited opportunity for positive growth for you and those around you.
Resolutions are effective for some folks I suppose, but I
much prefer the process of addition rather than subtraction.
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