Often people wake up dreading having to go to work, hoping to get through the day as quickly and as effortlessly as possible. The less problems they encounter, the less stress they will have and the less energy they need to expend. This very usual mentality for working to not fail at their job is a clear way to remove the fulfillment that comes with achievement which is natures motivator to raise our personal bar in life. So why is it that some people are excited to get up at 5 AM and go to a personal trainer to physically beat themselves up? Especially when this workout session is painful and exhausting. It starts with the motivation of personal improvement and the fulfillment that comes from achievement.
If we are lucky enough to have an opportunity to work on a team, our natural first instinct is that we have to tip toe around the members emotions, titles and experiences while playing the political game. But these members are necessary to deliver as a team grows. Common sense would also tell us that as a team we can achieve more because we have additional people to contribute. For instance since 1=1 and we had 3 people on our team then we can achieve 3 times the amount of work assuming that all the members have the same drive/ skill. Because we are in the home building industry an analogy of this would be a porch roof with 3, 2×4 columns holding up the beam, 1 in the center and 1 on each end. All 3 studs are working toward the same objective which is to hold up the beam that supports the roof. The weight capacity of those columns according to the 2012 IBC (International building code) is 636 PSI each x 3 columns which is 1908 PSI. Any additional weight above this would result in another column being added to carry the load or the porch roof would collapse.
Now for a second lets remove scopes or roles all together, remove the concern for emotions, titles and experience and look at the team as 1 individual body comprised of 3 pieces instead of a compilation of 3 individual parts. Lets assume the team still consists of 3 people but the overarching goals of each one of these people is the same, which is to attain X. That each one of these roles are pushing toward the same end result and are not afraid to communicate issues to each other they feel will make the team stronger. Understanding the feedback they give or receive is to improve the team and never a personal attack on another member no matter what their title. The goal for all of them is clear and simple, to accomplish X. The daily tasks of the individual responsibilities clearly fit into the big picture by looking at leading indicators (numbers on a dashboard) that tell them where they stand. But at the same time know these numbers are not their ultimate measurement of success, just the steps to attain it. They know success is only attained in the end by all 3 parts delivering as one whole and they never let anything stand in the way of this. This overarching goal (x) is not just a number that drives profit, it is not just a means to an end, it is a focus that grows the world and helps it become a better place. Even after this team is long gone. It is a goal large enough that can not be achieved by an group of individuals as it equals more then the sum of the parts. With a clear alignment the 3 2×4 columns would no longer be split with 1 in the center and 1 on each end. Instead they are nailed together targeting 1 specific point load on the beam. (goal X) The difference now is the strength of the 2×4’s. Collectively they can now hold 8,820 PSI which is 6,912 PSI or 4.6 times the strength of all 3 as individual columns. With the studs being aligned toward 1 common focus they leverage themselves to carry more weight and naturally become a stronger unit. Because of their alignment one column can actually fail and the others are there to support the load. In the scenario where they were split as individuals if one of them failed the roof would have collapsed and in turn would have created failure for the other columns.
Now lets go back and think of the meaning we have (or lack) each day when we wake up. Consider that we go to work with an ultimate focus toward an end result that can not be achieved alone. That we are not worried about the road blocks (others feelings) holding back the results. Or knowing that we can afford to fail as we try new things and improve because our teams leverage picks up the slack. That we measure ourselves off the teams success and use the metrics or indicators as a way to paint the path toward achieving it, but welcome any advice as a result of hitting it. What would happen to our motivation, our meaning and our purpose when we went to work that day knowing our impact on the world is 4.6 times greater then the normal person? Or that our success is no longer measured by not failing or looking bad, but by truly changing others lives. What would the feeling be knowing that every person on the team had the same underlying reasons to start their day and help you improve. Our decisions become different, our mindset becomes different and all of a sudden our place on earth becomes a lot more important. If we go back to the question why do some feel like they dread each work day (or workout) and why do some get excited to experience it? The answer is meaning. Our meaning, our ownership, our importance or place on earth is the single highest factor of our existence and it’s 100% up to us to find it.
It comes from understanding how impactful our contribution is to so many others in the world. How important our role is toward building quality of life and the feeling of giving others a lifestyle or experience they did not know existed. All of a sudden getting up dreading to go to work is replaced with motivation to make a difference. For Elliott Homes, our trades and all those who help us deliver an experience that has not been seen yet in this industry, this meaning is quality of life. It is this meaning which also allows us all to overcome the obstacles of attempting something our industry has never seen and not fall back to the status quo. To make the world a better place tomorrow then it is today and enrich our skills and our knowledge which gives us a reason to exist. For the communities we build this means a place people can come home to and relax, feel safe and enjoy a sense of community. An environment where they can grow their lives, are excited to call it home and know their partner (us) is there to support them. A place they are proud to bring their friends to see where style and class overcome status.
Quality of life is different to us all but the most important thing to remember is Quality of life = meaning and meaning is natures motivation to jump out of bed and achieve more. Have a fantastic week team, you have so much opportunity together it’s incredible.