The R Factor Mindset: Events + Response = Outcomes
The Ultimate Mindset Formula For Better Outcomes.
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The R Factor Mindset
Life and work are a constant flow of events: situations, routines, people, responsibilities, obstacles, change…on and on the list goes.
We are constantly dealing with the stuff of life. This presents a fundamental challenge that lies at the intersection of personal and organizational performance.
As Influential Project Managers and leaders, we’re in the business of predictable outcomes. The most successful people are successful because they can control their outcomes over the long term.
How do you navigate the events of life and work in a way that produces great results?
I believe the answer is implementing a solid mental framework. One that is simple, but powerful. A framework for being intentional about how you think, make decisions, and take action.
E + R = O
Events + Response = Outcome
Outcomes are produced by how you choose to respond, not just by the events we experience. We cannot control Events, but we can control how we respond.
E + R = O is the way life works. Like gravity, E + R = O operates with or without our awareness. No one is exempt.
However, in today’s accelerated world we often don’t slow down to manage our response. As a result, we lose effectiveness.
Success in every dimension of life is determined by how you choose to manage the R.
Everything in your life and on your projects must pass through your R factor.
You choose what action you will take in pursuit of your goals.
You choose how to respond to the events and situations you experience.
You choose how to interact and connect with people at work and at home.
You choose whether to give up or to persevere through the inevitable obstacles you will experience.
The most important decision you make is how you will Manage the R.
Everyday there are new challenges and opportunities. And every day you make R factor decisions. Your experience shape you, but they do not determine you. You are able to choose. You are able to change.
“Greatness is not a function of circumstance. Greatness, it turns out, is largely a matter of conscious choice.” - Jim Collins, Author of Good to Great: Why Companies Make the Leap…And Others Don’t
Consistently managing the R requires a The R Factor Mindset: belief in your personal responsibility to take ownership of your attitude & action.
The mindset is focused, specific, and intentional.
Invest the time to fully consider each element of the formula.
Explore your belief system, and implement this new mindset into your own life.
I do not control my events.
Everyday I will experience a variety of events that will challenge me. These events include problems, opportunities, changes, unforeseen issues, and other people. Some will be frustrating. Others will be monotonous, routine, even boring. I am not except from having to deal with the challenges and complexities of life.
I have the power to influence situations and circumstances, but I cannot control them. I can exercise influence to the best of my ability, even though I understand there are always things outside of my control that I will have to deal with.
I will encounter significant crisis as well as significant opportunity. It’s not a matter of if. It’s a matter of when.
Tomorrow’s Events are created by today’s Outcomes. If I want to experience better Events in the future, then I must start producing better Outcomes today.
My response is my choice.
The way I manage the R is my greatest asset.
I am responsible for my decisions & my behavior. Difficult events may influence me to think and behave a certain way, but they do not choose for me. I take ownership of all my choices & actions, regardless of circumstance.
I do not blame other people. I do not complain about circumstances. I do not defend self.
I am responsible for how I Respond to circumstances I did not create.
I always have options. I do not equate having to make difficult choice with not having any choice. I always have a choice. ALWAYS.
My behavior produces outcomes.
The Outcomes I get are not the result of what I want, they are the result of what I choose to do.
What I do (or don’t do) makes a difference. My choices & actions always have an impact. However big or small the Outcome, my behavior matters.
I do not equate the delay on consequences with the absence of them.
I take responsibility for the long-term impact of my behavior even though I can’t always see the immediate results. I accept that I will not always get the Outcome I want in every situation. Many outcomes, especially the important ones, require significant time, effort, and energy to achieve. This is not an excuse to stop Managing the R. I know that consistently Managing the R will, over time, result in better outcomes for me and those around me.
E + R = O is the way life works.
My job is to get good at it.
It is the cause & effect nature of the world in which I live and work. It operates whether or not I pay attention to it or manage it.
People I interact with may not understand or practice E+R=O, but I will!
E + R = O is a mindset first and a skill set second.
I invite you to give this new mindset a try and let me know what you think. In order to manage the Response you must be intentional about your inner behavior as well as your outer behavior. Your perceptions, feelings, and thoughts are always influencing how you behave.
I hope it supports your thinking, communications, and actions as you navigate through these current events.
Until next week,
Kyle Nitchen
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