Recently, I've become involved in a group of cycling enthusiasts. The plan was to meet and ride 24 miles from Ayer, MA to Nashua, NH. At the last minute, the leader cancelled the ride due to the windy and nippy weather. I and another member, Jerry, did not get the message. While waiting at the trail head, many things were going through my mind: "It's too cold and windy, should I just head back home?", "What if I only cycle for about 30 mins and then go home?". You can imagine how much debate I was having with myself about the situation. Instead, my new found friend Jerry suggested we go and ride the full trail anyway and make a day of it. It was chilly and the wind seemed against us for most of the ride. Towards the last 4 miles my legs were aching! I was pleased that I met the challenge head on and felt such a great sense of accomplishment. I was thankful to Jerry for nudging me into doing what I thought was beyond my physical abilities.
How do we nudge others at work to go beyond what they think they can do? Do we offer them a safe environment in which they can implement their plan of attack without consequence? Think about some of the tools that helped you get past a challenge. What advice can you offer that might help someone else beyond a challenging situation?
When the goal is accomplished, celebrate the success! Talk about what went well and lessons learned from the effort. All of us learn through others and by doing what may seem to be the impossible.
