Initiative the 5000-plus percent difference
In his book The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, Stephen Covey says, “The difference between people who exercise initiative and those who don’t is literally the difference between night and day. I’m not talking about a 25 to 50 percent increase in effectiveness; I’m talking about a 5000-plus percent difference, particularly if they are smart, aware, and sensitive to others.”
Remember - Be Super, Be a Scooper
Kirk
July 31st, 2007 at 11:48 pm
“Simply Brilliant! Kirk says in one small book what other try to say in volumes! This deceptively simple book reveals the “secret†to success and fulfillment that individuals, organizations and families are searching for. If you want to simply, yet effectively revolutionize your life read and apply this principle! Kirk is the Dr Suess of Motivation, connecting with the readers mind, heart and soul! Trust me, you will love it.â€
Doug Nielsen - The Ownership Specialist
July 31st, 2007 at 11:50 pm
Every adult on the planet should read The Dog Poop Initiative and every parent should read it twice for themselves and over and over again to their children and teenagers. If everyone heeded the principles in this book, most of the world’s problems would be solved.
Jim Ackerman, Author of The Delta Initiative
July 31st, 2007 at 11:56 pm
“I shared this –story– with my staff several months back. Not only were they amused, but many of them experienced the “AhHa” we all do when something so obvious has literally been paraded in front of our noses. We have started our own internal ‘poop scooping’ initiative as a result. We have taken a humorous anecdote and turned it into positive action—-in a government environment! Heather Donnelly
July 31st, 2007 at 11:57 pm
The Dog Poop Initiative is a lesson for parents and business leaders alike. Because the reader can relate to the story on so many levels, it has inspired everyone I know who attended our local Help Desk Chapter meeting to tell at least one person; and kind of like the old shampoo commercial, they told a friend…and so on…and so on… Its simple message is a timeless lesson for all of us!
Paula (Tess) DePalma
Director of Service Delivery, Nemours
July 31st, 2007 at 11:59 pm
We easily can relate this to our day to day activities. Who spends their day dancing around the ‘poop’ instead of picking it up and moving on to the next pile!
Margo Anderson
Senior Support Analyst
Ace Hardware Corporation
August 1st, 2007 at 12:02 am
By sharing this story with my team last year, we were able to focus on this need to always be part of the solution, not part of the problem, and take the initiative, even if it’s not always pleasant or pretty. - Phil Gerbyshak, Help Desk Manager, Robert W. Baird & Co. Inc.
August 1st, 2007 at 12:02 am
I loved the Dog Poop story and shared it with a leadership team at Intuit when I presented my viewpoints on the topic of Corporate Values. It was not only a lot of fun to share, but drove a great conversation on leadership and initiative. Everyone could relate to the story and its analogy for more important matters in our professional and personal lives. Ronnie Johansen
August 1st, 2007 at 12:04 am
The Ohio State University Medical Center is pursuing HDI Support Center Certification. In order to accomplish our goal, we need to develop a few more “Poop Scoopers” and decrease the number of “Poop Pointers”. I have shared your story with our Help Desk, Operations, Data Security and Remedy staffs as well as several members of our leadership team. I heard a few more staff members talking about “Dog Poop” and a few less people saying “That’s not our job!”. Thanks for sharing your story!
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Ronald E. Kibbe
Sr. Systems Manager
August 1st, 2007 at 10:50 am
I scooped up 2 copies of Kirk’s “Dog Poop Initiative” book at the 2005 HDI conference in Vegas when it was first published. One copy is at work and was read by my entire team and continues to be read by new team members. The other copy is at home. My kids love this book!! “I think they get a kick out of saying “poop”.
Gina Montague Manager, Technical Support Center
Dorsey & Whitney
August 2nd, 2007 at 8:18 am
Today’s Post is a favourite of mine and always will be…
I know it’s a cliché to say “It’s so true†but for the message in this one, it’s 5000% true. The sort of people that show initiative and ‘get up and go’ always seem to be solving problems, always seem to be achieving more than those who lack initiative… actually to say ‘lack initiative’ I don’t think does justice to those who have chosen to be people of initiative so I think it’s more accurate to say… the sort of people that show initiative and ‘get up and go’ always seem to be solving problems, always seem to be achieving more than those who choose not to be people of initiative.
It’s a lesson to burn into the psyche… burn baby burn!
On this topic, no doubt you have read a book called ‘The Go-Getter’ – it is ‘all over’ this topic of initiative and is by far one of the best books I have ever read.
Best of luck with the 4th pile of books
Cheers,
Daniel Burns
Don’t Sweat I.T.
PO Box 7309
Mount Austin
Wagga Wagga NSW 2650
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