What Is The One Thing?

FOCUS is one of our three key Principles at Mid-Atlantic Rubber Company. We use our weekly team cadence meetings as our way to stay connected to our annual goals and initiatives.

So, what is the one thing? This is the question that we ask each employee to answer every week. What's the one thing that I am going to do this week in my role at work to help move the needle. To help get the team (and company) to move closer to our goals. This can be asked for other roles as well. Such as, what’s the one thing I can do in my relationship with my wife this week that will make the biggest difference? What’s the one thing I am going to do in my role of myself this week that will make the biggest difference? Don’t forget yourself!!!

The only rule is that it can't be something that is already part of normal day to day activities and habits. It doesn't have to take long to accomplish but it should be something that is meaningful to the team mission, goals, or initiatives. And yes, it should be written down and reported on the next week for accountability. Having the meetings weekly and having everyone contributing with a significant “one thing” is what creates cadence and cadence creates results.

My biking coach recently shared with me that she had a teacher that would always compliment her but would never tell her the 'one thing' that she needed to work on to further improve. So, of course, I asked her “what's the one thing I can work on this week with my biking”? She quickly replied for me to really focus on my left leg when peddling. It seems that my right leg and especially my right quad are doing all the work. She put me on a ‘spinscan’ to show me on the computer that my right leg was very dominate but only in the downstroke. So now I have very specific focus to pull up with my left leg for my long ride Saturday and beyond. She says that my FOCUS will very soon result in a more even balance. I love having a coach that is so focused on helping me to improve. (See chapter 17 - Have a coach; Be a coach).

Ironically, cadence is really important in biking as it is in our workplace. Learning to maintain a 90+ cadence will greatly increase my biking results. My new drills will help me to better maintain this 90+ cadence.

So what is the one thing for you, this week, in your key roles of your life that will make the biggest impact?