"Persistence is to the character of man as carbon is to steel." Napoleon Hill
Preface.
Well, you may not feel comfortable about the source where this story is taken; trust me - it's the best and hits the nail on the head.
In the Bible, there was a story about a woman pleading with a corrupt and evil judge (Luke 18:1-8). Though he is corrupt, and likely judges, fairly only in case of a lucrative bribe. But, as we read, he says he doesn't; he does not fear, neither god nor human.
Eventually, He gives up and endorses her plea, not because of her legal skills but because of Her consistent nagging on him. That poor lady kept it doing for so long that He became afraid of His life, as the scripture tells us.
Persistence has quite a subtle meaning because how can you teach it; how can you ask someone to get it done regardless of obstacles.
Some say It is more a character trait than a skill, but as our story and the best team training venues in the world reveal, it is not only that.
Some teams are trained to be persistent; Let's say Special Ops: Navy SEALs, SAS Royal Dutch Marines, and how do we know those lines. And we know those lads go through rough and excruciating training. But, obviously, I don't want you to say that's the only way to perhaps for the business, as it could be a bit harsh.
How do we train for persistence?
In his book, 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership, my mentor, John Maxwell, writes about "The Law of the Big picture". He reminds us; leaders should always remain focused on the bigger goal and persistently keep all team members yearning towards that goal.
Let's put this into perspective; take a look at this drawing.
On one side, we have a team quadrant; opposite we have a circle of goal. Obviously, the team makes an effort towards the goal and gets distracted. Suddenly, life-reality comes in, things happen, something doesn't work out, and stuff like that. Okay, fine.
They give up on the first effort; they try the second effort; again, the distractions occur. Again, again and again, and again. What can we do?
This is where a leader steps in - take a look at the drawing one more time. Then, the leader encircles the goal with persistence, intentionally reminds peers of the bigger goal and the big picture, and keeps the team focused, even in case of failed effort. This is the essence of persistence and the tool to keep it is The Law Big picture.
Managing persistence regularly?
It may seem a rather complex job, but it isn't. Let's see the list of regular - consistent action you may want to add straight away into your agenda.
- Clear vision - weekly reminders on progress,
- Regular evaluation of issues, diverting us from the big picture
- Weekly challenging team on their progress, regular ruse from the stage, planning, efficiency
- TGOROW coaching skills and open-ended questions,
- Teachability - embracing the zeal to learn and adapt.
We can see clearly: persistence is not a singular world; it implies many regular and consistent actions, tied together with great team-building and chemistry development.
Persistence is vital; most successful teams succeed only due to persistence; they persist. Their leaders clearly understand the importance of persistent reminders persistent.
I hope it made sense and you enjoyed reading about persistence.