Yesterday I happened to watch an episode out of an old television serial that had aired quite a few years ago called ER (Emergency Room). It revolves around doctors, nurses and other staff, and how they handle situations that arise out of the emergency room. In the episode that I watched yesterday, one of the doctors who is taking care of his father who has been diagnosed with terminal lung cancer, brings his father home to stay with him. They have never had a good relationship all their life, but he decided that in these days, he would take care of his father. It's a tumultuous time – the father is not really easy to get along with. One day his father reminisces and talks about the time that he was in the Navy – how his greatest thrill was to be on a ship watching the bow slice through the waters and ride the waves. His eyes lit up with just the thought of being out on the sea. As his son Mark watches this, he decides to take his wheelchair-bound father onto a boat. There's a wonderful picture of father and son on the boat, enjoying the wind in their faces.
As I watched it, I thought to myself – there's a level where we do the things that we are supposed to do because it's duty, a duty of a child to his parent. And then, there are things that we can do that go far beyond that. I think that's what the extra mile is all about. It's going beyond what duty calls for and that's a good perspective for all of us as we look at our work spaces and ask ourselves the question, "in the company that I am in, do the people who report to me or I report to, go the extra mile? Or do we just say: "This is what is expected of me," and then don't do anything further.
I realise that a lot of it has to do with the environment, the ethos of the company, whether the company is conducive to bringing out the best in people. Do they have the things necessary to let my skills excel in a particular environment that they create? As Gary Hamel says, "The question a manager needs to ask himself/herself, is not, how do I get people to serve my company? But rather, how do I create the work environment and a sense of purpose that literally merits the gifts of creativity and passion?" How true! It's about the environment that is created. Do we take seriously the kind of culture that we expect our employees to excel in? Or do we take that for granted.
For me, when travelling in the US, I enjoy Southwest Airlines. It's such a great experience. I have talked about this before. But, every time I get on a Southwest flight, I am just so intrigued by the little things that everybody does to go that extra mile. The last time I was on a flight, I had a middle seat. The person at the gate joked about it, telling me that's what happens when I check in late. I was really worried about being stuck between 2 people, but hearing her make light of it and kind of chastise me for checking in late lifted my spirits as I walked in and changed my attitude completely. I realized that she didn't have to do any of that. Her job was to check me in, but that is the culture that has been created at Southwest Airlines. Their vision is to "become the most loved, most flown and most profitable airline," and in spite of posting 40 years of profitability, they still go after that. I believe every week, CEO Gary Kelly gives a "shout out" - public praise to employees who have gone above and beyond to show great customer service, as reported in this particular article.
That's the kind of environment that has been created that allows employees to go beyond anything that is required of them. Psychologists call this environment OCB or Organisational Citizenship Behaviour. The key to that is to be able to create that kind of an environment, to make employees feel that they are citizens of a kingdom within the organization. This brings about loyalty and other attributes that enable people to go the extra mile.
Yet, when we look at it almost pragmatically or realistically or practically, we find that it's not often the case in the environments that we work in, and this begs the question: What would be something that stops this from happening? Dr. Sebastian Bailey, writing for Forbes in an article entitled 'What's Stopping Your Team From Going The Extra Mile' says that recent studies have shown that exhaustion is the key. Employees being exhausted by the work that they are doing, the things that they are expected to do – take all kinds of initiative and creativity out of the equation. The truth is that it is something that can be easily handled by good management. There must be ways to look at employees who are getting exhausted, who are running out of the space they need to lift their game and to be able to go the extra mile rather than just get into an office space and do only what needs to be done.
Gary Hamel, professor at London Business School, once noted, "By far, the greatest untapped source of wealth and potential in any organization is all those people who have chosen on that particular day not to bring their imagination, passion, initiative to work. And the capabilities that we need most in our employees are exactly the capabilities that are most difficult to command. You cannot tell someone to show initiative or to be creative; those are literally gifts that people choose to bring in to work every day, or they don't." How true! Do you create an environment for people working with you – to be creative, to be imaginative, to have initiative? Or are the people working for you just showing up, punching in, doing what's expected of them, and then heading out? How do we bring greater involvement, zest and vigour into the equation?
A couple of writers, Seddon, Lorenzo and Leigh, answer that question. A couple of things that they said:
So what about you, my friends? How do you find yourself? Exhausted, fatigued and just going through the motions or inspired, motivated and stirred to go the extra mile?
Gary Ryan Blair said, "Do more than is required. What is the distance between someone who achieves their goals consistently and those who spend their lives and careers merely following? The extra mile." Or as Ross Mathews put it, "If you want to succeed at any job, make yourself invaluable. Go the extra mile; make them never be able to imagine what life without you there would be like."
For me, one of the greatest motivations I have for doing things that are far more than what is expected, is that I'm able to look at what I do not just as an offering to the company, but something that I would give as an offering to God. And when you do that, then you are always saying, "I can't give a substandard offering to God." Our Scriptures say in Ephesians 6:7 "Do everything as unto the Lord." That's a great motivation. If you do that, then the extra mile will automatically happen. My prayer is that that will inspire you today to go the extra mile.
May I offer this prayer with you? Almighty God, push us beyond the ordinary, to sublime things, to divine things, to doing things that are far more than we are expected to do, so that we can be worthy citizens of a great company. Inspire us to be the kind of people that we can and ought to be. I pray for each one that reads this post. Bless them beyond anything that they have imagined today, as they reach for that extra mile. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.
Resources
As I watched it, I thought to myself – there's a level where we do the things that we are supposed to do because it's duty, a duty of a child to his parent. And then, there are things that we can do that go far beyond that. I think that's what the extra mile is all about. It's going beyond what duty calls for and that's a good perspective for all of us as we look at our work spaces and ask ourselves the question, "in the company that I am in, do the people who report to me or I report to, go the extra mile? Or do we just say: "This is what is expected of me," and then don't do anything further.
I realise that a lot of it has to do with the environment, the ethos of the company, whether the company is conducive to bringing out the best in people. Do they have the things necessary to let my skills excel in a particular environment that they create? As Gary Hamel says, "The question a manager needs to ask himself/herself, is not, how do I get people to serve my company? But rather, how do I create the work environment and a sense of purpose that literally merits the gifts of creativity and passion?" How true! It's about the environment that is created. Do we take seriously the kind of culture that we expect our employees to excel in? Or do we take that for granted.
For me, when travelling in the US, I enjoy Southwest Airlines. It's such a great experience. I have talked about this before. But, every time I get on a Southwest flight, I am just so intrigued by the little things that everybody does to go that extra mile. The last time I was on a flight, I had a middle seat. The person at the gate joked about it, telling me that's what happens when I check in late. I was really worried about being stuck between 2 people, but hearing her make light of it and kind of chastise me for checking in late lifted my spirits as I walked in and changed my attitude completely. I realized that she didn't have to do any of that. Her job was to check me in, but that is the culture that has been created at Southwest Airlines. Their vision is to "become the most loved, most flown and most profitable airline," and in spite of posting 40 years of profitability, they still go after that. I believe every week, CEO Gary Kelly gives a "shout out" - public praise to employees who have gone above and beyond to show great customer service, as reported in this particular article.
That's the kind of environment that has been created that allows employees to go beyond anything that is required of them. Psychologists call this environment OCB or Organisational Citizenship Behaviour. The key to that is to be able to create that kind of an environment, to make employees feel that they are citizens of a kingdom within the organization. This brings about loyalty and other attributes that enable people to go the extra mile.
Yet, when we look at it almost pragmatically or realistically or practically, we find that it's not often the case in the environments that we work in, and this begs the question: What would be something that stops this from happening? Dr. Sebastian Bailey, writing for Forbes in an article entitled 'What's Stopping Your Team From Going The Extra Mile' says that recent studies have shown that exhaustion is the key. Employees being exhausted by the work that they are doing, the things that they are expected to do – take all kinds of initiative and creativity out of the equation. The truth is that it is something that can be easily handled by good management. There must be ways to look at employees who are getting exhausted, who are running out of the space they need to lift their game and to be able to go the extra mile rather than just get into an office space and do only what needs to be done.
Gary Hamel, professor at London Business School, once noted, "By far, the greatest untapped source of wealth and potential in any organization is all those people who have chosen on that particular day not to bring their imagination, passion, initiative to work. And the capabilities that we need most in our employees are exactly the capabilities that are most difficult to command. You cannot tell someone to show initiative or to be creative; those are literally gifts that people choose to bring in to work every day, or they don't." How true! Do you create an environment for people working with you – to be creative, to be imaginative, to have initiative? Or are the people working for you just showing up, punching in, doing what's expected of them, and then heading out? How do we bring greater involvement, zest and vigour into the equation?
A couple of writers, Seddon, Lorenzo and Leigh, answer that question. A couple of things that they said:
- Aim to gain people's emotional commitment to the work, rather than a rational one.
- Look to engage people's enthusiasm.
- Publicly praise them for going the extra mile.
- Share rewards that the company gets by you going the extra mile with them so that they feel that they are all a part of something much bigger than just showing up for work.
So what about you, my friends? How do you find yourself? Exhausted, fatigued and just going through the motions or inspired, motivated and stirred to go the extra mile?
Gary Ryan Blair said, "Do more than is required. What is the distance between someone who achieves their goals consistently and those who spend their lives and careers merely following? The extra mile." Or as Ross Mathews put it, "If you want to succeed at any job, make yourself invaluable. Go the extra mile; make them never be able to imagine what life without you there would be like."
For me, one of the greatest motivations I have for doing things that are far more than what is expected, is that I'm able to look at what I do not just as an offering to the company, but something that I would give as an offering to God. And when you do that, then you are always saying, "I can't give a substandard offering to God." Our Scriptures say in Ephesians 6:7 "Do everything as unto the Lord." That's a great motivation. If you do that, then the extra mile will automatically happen. My prayer is that that will inspire you today to go the extra mile.
May I offer this prayer with you? Almighty God, push us beyond the ordinary, to sublime things, to divine things, to doing things that are far more than we are expected to do, so that we can be worthy citizens of a great company. Inspire us to be the kind of people that we can and ought to be. I pray for each one that reads this post. Bless them beyond anything that they have imagined today, as they reach for that extra mile. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.
Resources
- ER, American Television serial, http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0108757/
- Extra mile quotes: Gary Ryan Blair, Ross Mathews.http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/keywords/extra_mile.html
- Sebastian Bailey, "What's Stopping Your Team From Going the Extra Mile? http://www.forbes.com/sites/sebastianbailey/2015/04/23/whats-stopping-your-team-going-the-extra-mile/
- Sasha Seddon, Antonio di Lorenzo and Andrew Leigh, "How Leaders Get People To Go the Extra Mile--and Beyond. http://www.ethical-leadership.co.uk/extra-mile/
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