From the start, your curiosity is roused with Ellie's, as she puzzles over a voice mail message she finds on her phone ending with...
I believe there is nothing wrong with average lives and average accomplishments; most of the good of the world builds on the accumulated efforts of everyday people. But a life should strive for greatness, as Lincoln seemed to know.Ellie's wonderment led to greater curiosity.
"Who was Jim, and why was his message in my voice mailbox? This was something I hadn't expected in the business world... Each morning, I was intrigued by the brief message that began with the words 'Good morning, everyone. This is Jim."'"
Interestingly, curiosity releases dopamine in your brain, which leads to heightened motivation. And when you find the answers you are rewarded by further releases of dopamine, which leave you feeling good. No wonder Ellie's curiosity is such a driving force throughout the story.
Ellie soon learns that Jim, the company head, has been leaving the messages to make a personal connection to company employees and create a small company feeling. However, Jim does not believe he can create the same kind of spark within the company as his Dad and he goes so far as to admit his work does not seem exciting or fulfilling. Not too surprisingly, myths people hold in their brains about their abilities can keep playing out. Here's why... Thinking of oneself as "lesser than," when it comes to performance, is but one of the many myths people create in the brain and the more they tell themselves that, the more deeply entrenched it becomes. But leaders can stretch past ability myths by doing the opposite.
After Ellie joined the firm things begin to change for Jim...
Ellie asks many questions to figure out how the pieces fit. She's the catalyst to help Jim rework the elusive vision puzzle from the inside out. Jim realizes that his Dad had a vision of what he wanted the insurance company to be, and everyone shared in that, but knows it's lacking for him. Ellie finally asks, "But if you don't have a vision, how do you get one? What is it that makes a vision?"
Some people just don't get why it's important to have a vision, and worse yet they have no idea how to create one. And, some businesses get people organized around a vision and then lose the focus. Worst of all some companies create a vision when they need to downsize. So... a way to create a vision that inspires and motivates is direly needed.
As Jim and Ellie struggle to figure out the answers, you enter the process with them and walk alongside as they work out a clear vision for Carpenter Insurance Agency. Jim and Ellie decide to hold early morning meetings to answer some of Ellie's questions.
During their meetings they figure out how purpose, a picture of the future and clear values are intricately woven into vision. Coming to grips with failure when gaps cause difficulty, makes the impact realistic. But, you see how Jim and Ellie, stick to it and find real answers that fit their context. Though your company might be quite different, you see practical approaches that can be adjusted to work for you or your organization.
Blanchard and Stoner create a bonus for readers by narrowing down main parts of their understanding in charts. You'll be inspired to create a vision for a workplace, department, team or even yourself personally as you draw from the tools provided. You'll see the how's of doing it.
Full Steam Ahead provides the empowerment you need to bring vision to your organization in a way that's insightful, clear and meaningful. When a vision's shared it energizes people with a new excitement about coming to work, and they're enabled to circumvent barriers more easily.
If you order your copy today on May 6 [today] Ken Blanchard and Jesse Lyn Stoner will make a donation of all online profits to Give Kids the World. This second edition sold over 250,000 copies and has been translated into 21 languages.
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