Quality 12 - Preparation

Quality 12 -- Preparation: Can Mean the Difference Between Winning and Losing
Guest Blogger: Jan WhitenerFavorite Quotes:
"It is better to prepare than repair.” – John Maxwell
"Before everything else, getting ready is the secret to success." –
Henry Ford
“Spectacular achievement comes from unspectacular preparation.”
Roger Staubach
Again, Maxwell utilizes a war hero, this time from World War I to exemplify the next essential quality- preparation. Alvin York, a poor, uneducated mountain boy from rural Tennessee, earned the distinction of “the greatest soldier of World War I.” The third of eleven children, he had no aspirations of greatness other than his passion for hunting. He frequently hunted wild game in his native, rural, setting. As he faced life’s harsh realities, he experimented with a life consumed by drinking, gambling, and fighting for three years before turning his life around through his religious faith commitment. He even founded a church in his community.

The receipt of his draft notice in 1917 presented a dilemma of choosing between his faith and love of God and the family legacy of serving and honoring their love of country. He was prepared physically and mentally, but not spiritually. Although he was an excellent marksman in shooting wild game, his heart was not prepared to take the life of another human being. He followed orders and left for basic training classified as a conscientious objector. It was through the process of preparation that laid the foundation for his success as a soldier. He consulted with his pastor, his captain and his major and continuously sought spiritual guidance from his Bible. This preparation completed his commitment to serve by adding the spirituality component.

His leadership and marksmanship saved his squad and earned him the title of the “Greatest Soldier in World War I” with six of the highest medals offered by four countries. He personally felt the experience taught him the value of human lives and motivated him to educate the children of his community. He helped establish the York Agricultural Institute which still continues to educate.

As educators, we can also enhance our team’s initiatives through preparation using four guiding words.

Assessment: This crucial step in preparation begins with knowledge of where one is headed, possible obstacles, as well as strategies to direct and remain focused on the identified goal

Alignment: The golf analogy provided a vivid example of proper alignment to actions to achieve success. After spending more years than I want to admit chasing a small white ball, I have witnessed success and failure directly linked to the level of alignment. I understand the power of “right work” as essential to success in combination with hard work which alone, does not achieve success.

Attitude: I believe attitude is paramount to success in all one does, whether independently or collaboratively as a team. This encompasses attitudes about the goal, oneself, teammates and abilities of all involved.

Action:
Preparation or determining a plan for the course of action, while powerful, would be meaningless without the commitment to take the initiative to put it into action. Maxwell concludes this chapter by encouraging us to improve our preparedness by becoming process thinkers, using research, and learning from our mistakes. In reading classroom tips shared by Dr. Lucas, the word “plan” is often used. I view “plan” and “prepare” as synonymously interchangeable and believe many toolbox tips validate the importance of preparation.