Head Tilt #90: Baby Steps

My daughter, Macy, taking
baby steps on the beach in 2002 💕    

Lately, I've been using the term "baby steps" with my clients and myself. 

As I coach leaders to adopt new practices, you might catch me saying something like, "Take baby steps... it doesn't have to happen all at once. Small sculpts matter."

Or, as I try to take strides toward my goals, no matter how challenging, I remind myself that "baby steps count." 

(Case in point: On a tough day, I recently labeled getting out of bed, changing my sheets, and feeding the dogs as baby steps. I mean, at least I didn't hide under the covers like I wanted to! Look at me go! 😆)

The phrase baby steps has become synonymous with forward micro-movements. We use it gracefully to remind ourselves and others that it's not just the long leaps that propel us toward results. The small acts are significant, too.

Good stuff. ☀️

But then I started thinking about actual baby steps. 

You see, as a mother of two and someone who's been around plenty of babies, I can attest that they rarely take tiny steps, and surely not ever just one--- even when learning.

Instead, babies take clumsy, sloppy steps -- some big, some small. Finding their balance and stride, they take a step forward... or to the left... or to the right... and sometimes even backward! 

Oh, and they fall on their tushes a lot! 

But they get up and try again. And again. And again, until those baby steps take them to where they want to go. Onward to walking, skipping, jumping, and running. 

And if they're more coordinated than I am, cartwheels may be on the horizon. 🎉

All because they didn't give up when things felt awkward or tough. 

It's not the step size; the commitment makes the difference.

Another interesting thing I noticed when I searched for an image of baby steps is that there's always someone spotting them. Someone is there to help them up, catch them if they fall, or cheer them on. 

I was already okay with the metaphorical meaning of baby steps, but now I feel a bit of pride in taking more of them and encouraging others to do the same. Progress is different for everyone. My progress is often messy. Sometimes, I get bruises from falling down. But I get up. I know my goal. I take baby steps forward-- with or without grace-- I keep going, all with the support of some amazing friends and colleagues.

No matter how small, big, or messy, take pride in your baby steps. Keep going! If you fall-- get back right back up. You got this! 👣 

The comment feature isn't working, but I'd still love to have a conversation! Email me at 53thingsIthinkIknow@gmail.com

Head Tilt #60: Walt, Leadership, and the Soup Scene

Do you remember that scene in Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs where they all sit around the table and slurp soup?

Neither do I. 

It never made it to the big screen.

Ward Kimball (one of Disney's original animators who was part of the famed Nine Old Men) spent eight months working on that scene. 

Fellow animators loved it!

Walt thought it was good!

Walt also cut it from the film. 

He said that the picture was simply too long and something had to go.

It was 1937, and since Snow White would be the first full-length cartoon feature film, Walt knew that he had to keep the story tight.

Regarding the soup scene he said, "Even though we liked the sequence, it was not essential to the telling of the story."

Ward was disappointed. He'd worked so hard.

But Walt came back quickly with a new character he wanted Ward to sketch for an upcoming project. 

From the recorded interview played at the Walt Disney Family Museum, Ward happily recalled the next conversation he had with Walt after the Snow White soup scene had been edited from Snow White:

"He was a salesman and he changed the soup sequence to the enjoyment I'd have with Jiminy Cricket."

And Ward went on to animate everyone's favorite conscience. 

Two leadership essentials stand out to me in this story: 

1. Alignment

Walt knew the goal of his first feature film, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. He aligned all decisions toward that goal, even when he knew others would be disappointed.

2. Engagement

Walt also knew that to keep top talent he needed to drive, not decrease, engagement. He did this by giving Ward an even bigger, better creative project. 

If you are a leader:

• Do you have a crystal-clear image of your goals? 
• Are you able to evaluate which actions, processes, and efforts are in alignment or out of alignment with these goals? 
• Do you have the courage to make tough decisions? 
• When necessary, are you able to reignite employee engagement by directing talent to other projects? 

And if you are a Disney fan like me:

• Don't you want to see the soup sequence? My son found it here! Enjoy!

Yes! There is so much more to say about goals and engagement. This is just a real-life story that illustrates the power of each. Keep the conversation going with your teams.

Head Tilt #39: Make the future you proud

When I teach I provide participants with lots of practical tools. 

For example, in a recent customer service class I covered:

• the service mindset
• how to analyze what your customers want
• three communication essentials for connecting with customers
• a framework for dealing with difficult customers, and 
• how to recover when things go sideways

That's a lot! And it's coupled with handouts, activities, and reflection. 

At the end of most classes, I ask people a variation of the same two questions: 

    What one concept or tool stood out to you? What could you try tomorrow? 

There's no need to take it all on at once.

Through years of teaching and coaching, I've seen that we're often so eager to change that we take an all-or-nothing approach: Do it all or don't do a thing.

And through the years I've tried to let others know that the most important part of development is to do one small thing. 

That thing that stood out? Test drive it! 

Check the results. Are you pleased? 

Good! 

Practice it for a bit and then add another small thing. 

Then do another! 

Stack small steps on top of small steps until you have a whole bunch of small steps leading right to the top of your big goal.

Make the future you proud! 

And here's a secret you should all know: 

The future you does not only exist in that far away place you’ll reach when you:

• have it all figured out
• saved enough money
• found the perfect weight
• earned the right degrees
• applied all of the lessons you learned. 

The future you is mere minutes away. Make that future you proud.

The future you is the one who is pleased with the way you handled a sticky situation. Make that future you proud. 

The future you is the one who said what needed to be said at the team meeting. Make that future you proud.

The future you is the one crossing the finish-line of the workout that you didn't want to do but did anyway.Make that future you proud. 

The future you is the one who just made a micro-movement toward a bigger goal. Make that future you proud. 

Fun fact: I sat down to write this blog post and though I knew what I wanted to say, I wasn't sure how I'd say it. Still, I knew I wanted to make the future me proud. 

And I did.  💕

Yay!