Earl Nightingale (1921-1989), author and motivational speaker, is recognized as the “Dean of Personal Development.” He is perhaps best known for his 1956 audio recording of his original work The Strangest Secret which sold over one million copies, making it the first spoken-word recording to become a Gold Record. The lesson of The Strangest Secret is: “We become what we think about.”
He explains why we become what we think about: “A person who is thinking about a concrete and worthwhile goal is going to reach it, because that’s what she/he is thinking about. Conversely, the person who has no goal, who . . . thinks about nothing . . . becomes nothing.”
He offers this analogy on “how” it works: The human mind is much like a farmer’s land. The land gives the farmer a choice. He may plant in that land whatever he chooses. The land doesn’t care – it’s up to the farmer. The mind, like the land, will return whatever you plant. If the farmer plants a seed of corn and a seed of poison, waters and takes care of the land, what happens? The land returns poison just as abundantly as it does corn.
Managers have the opportunity to offer “seeds” (thoughts) that can help both individuals and the organization.
Putting the Ideas into Action
- Talk to associates about their personal goals
- Clearly communicate the goals for your business unit to everyone on your team
- Print cards: business goals one side, blank on the other (where associates write their goals)
- Encourage everyone to carry the card daily and review often (make sure you have yours!)
- When talking to associates, look for ways to link their personal goals to the business goals
Results: You will have created a “win/win” for each associate and for the organization because associates become more engaged in improving themselves and the organization benefits from their improved performance . . . because “we become what we think about.”
Related Idea: Consider rewarding associates on-the-spot whenever you “catch them” with their card – it’s an effective way to create a habit of keeping our goals in our thoughts.
