I enjoyed a Podcast – Focus 3 by Tim and Brian Kight

Candidly, the podcast is full of content so it sounds a bit like a classroom lecture.  Nevertheless, the mental models they present are thought provoking.  I recommend it.

One Podcast focused on the equation:  E x R= O

Event x Response = Outcome

It’s a simple way to think about how we conduct ourselves.  The outcomes in our lives are the result of our responses to the events in our life.

Each of us stands between the events that occur and the outcomes we experience.  That’s a “happening to the world” idea.  In this equation, events don’t just happen to us and cause an outcome.  We always have a chance to impact the outcome by how we respond to the event.

Let me repeat this; you always have a chance to impact the outcome by how you respond to an event.

The Kights lay out six components of a response:

1. Pay Attention:  Be mindful of the events which are occurring around you.  Our environments are complex, circumstances shift, people move in and out.  Be aware of the events which are happening.

2. Get Your Mind Right:  Responses will be mindful.  Getting your mind right is gathering yourself to form the best response you can.  Sometimes your best response isn’t the instinctive one.  It requires thought, empathy, discretion, strategy.  Getting your mind right is preparation.

3. Step Up:  You have to be willing to engage, speak up, go first, stretch your limits, or raise your hand.

4. Adapt/Adjust:  Choosing an action doesn’t assure results.  Adapting and adjusting means you remain flexible and agile. The best response corresponds to the changing environment.  Don’t get undone because you only have one plan.

5. Make a Difference:  Your goal is to make a difference.  The reason you respond is to improve the situation.  Focus on the difference you want to make.

6. Gain Skill:  We continually learn as we respond.  Our life is a large laboratory where we learn from our efforts, even if they were wrong.  Gaining skill means we strive to learn. We try to add to our toolbox. We often are reflecting on our interactions and evaluating what was effective.

You always have a chance to impact the outcomes of your day.  Be an active responder.