Four Stages of Continuous Improvement

First of all, the idea I’m going to talk about today applies across many things.  I would like to highlight now and again at the end of this podcast today that in order for any of it to work, relentless, often disorganized action must occur.  Until it does nothing is going to change.  

Welcome to the Relentless Courage podcast.  My name is Jon Howard, Husband and Father of three, Ultramarathon athlete and business owner.
​
There are three things I’m looking to do with this podcast.  They are: 
1.  Bring attention to God's name and grace
2.  Help those who have or are experiencing alcohol abuse or addiction
3.  Help those who desire to learn and grow every single day
 
First of all, the idea I’m going to talk about today applies across many things.  I would like to highlight now and again at the end of this podcast today that in order for any of it to work, relentless, often disorganized action must occur.  Until it does nothing is going to change. 

Maybe you’re a coach or player on a sports team, teacher, CEO, company President, business owner, community leader or in a leadership position in any vocation at any level.  I hope this idea can give you more tools to succeed wherever you are in whatever it is you’re trying to accomplish.

It took me three full years and two failed attempts at completing a 100-mile footrace before I finally finished my first in 2014.  As I reflect on my journey to this point as an ultramarathoner many things begin to reveal themselves that can be applied beyond the trail.  One of those things is how mistakes lead to improvement and eventually success.  It’s kind of a loop.

Let me start by saying none of these stages can begin to happen without action up front.  It doesn’t even need to be real meaningful action, just rough, initial action.  We just have to go.  We must take the first step towards our goals and desires in order to grow. 

The stages I’ve identified are reflection, recognition, meaningful action and recruitment.  They are listed in the order in which they occur.  The speed at which we progress though these stages largely depends on our level of commitment towards our goals and desires.  How much energy are we willing to give and how much energy do we have to give, all things considered towards the desired outcome?

The first stage is Reflection:

As we begin to take rough, initial action it may seem like nothing goes our way.  There is a curve that must occur in order to reach our goals.  Failure and mistakes are a part of that process.  This stage can be sped up by involving a mentor or coach.  As we enter in to situations that are unfamiliar to us, we aren’t able to shift in real time.  Instead, we rely on reflection when we’re out of those situations entirely.  Looking back on them we’re able to see the things we may have done differently to achieve success.

The second stage is Recognition:

In this stage of continuous improvement, we move beyond reflection.  We’ve used reflection to identify what needs to happen to be successful.  We now are able to see while we’re in situations where we’re unfamiliar, what needs to happen in order to achieve the outcome we are seeking.  We haven’t yet gotten to the point of taking meaningful action in real time, but we’re getting there.

The third stage is Meaningful Action:

The reflection loop has happened now enough times for us to be able to see what needs to happen to achieve success.  We’ve been there often enough to have recognized how to achieve the desire we seek.  Now, we not only recognize what needs to happen, we take meaningful action using the information we’ve gotten through past mistakes and failure.  Action takes courage.  Action takes trust.  If we haven’t gone through the first two continuous improvement, unless we get lucky, which does happen, we won’t see much success.  Relentless courage in the face of struggle is required.

The fourth stage is Recruitment:
The highest level of continuous improvement is recruitment.  We’ve experienced the first three phases and are able to, not only identify how they fit into our lives, but we see how others can work their way through the process as well.  We might create trainings to help others speed up their own process or coach folks in real time through these four stages.

It takes courage to take rough, initial action.  Go for it!  What do you have to lose?  I would like to highlight now as I did at the beginning of this podcast today that in order for any of it to work, relentless, often disorganized action must occur.  Until it does nothing is going to change. 
​
I hope you can find a place in your life to apply this message today.  Subscribe, leave a 5-star review and share this episode with someone who could use this message today!  Peace.