What is Your One-Degree Shift?

I recently took a trip with our foster daughters to California. It was their first plane trip and they were so excited! As soon as we were seated, the youngest began asking a lot of questions about how the plane worked and how it was going to get us to our destination. 

The conversation reminded me of a concept that my coach taught a group of us in an entrepreneurial program I'm enrolled in. She is constantly asking what my one degree shift in my business will be after our calls. It’s powerful and achievable. 

I did a little digging to learn more about the concept and found that it comes from the aviation industry and called the 1 in 60 Rule. Essentially, If you're 60 miles away from your destination, and you're off course by one degree, you're off course by one mile. Multiply that by any number over 1 and you can be off course by a lot of miles! 

Apply the concept to your work - or anything in your life that needs a change - and a one degree shift can result in big changes over time. It can work for virtually anything.

Trying to lose weight? Make one small change like giving up soda. That one change can help you lose weight over time. Depending on how much soda you drink, it could be a big loss.

In a professional setting, the idea is just as powerful. Are you constantly trying to accomplish one project and consistently get pulled to other things needing your attention? At the beginning of the day, write TWO tasks on a sticky note and place it where you can see it. I’m sure you can find time to get just two tasks done in a day. If you keep it up for the week, you might just finish that project and not have to close yourself off from everyone else for hours to do everything at once. 

If you are trying to make a change in a system relating to workforce, implement one thing at a time. For example, you might have a goal of updating your orientation program to be more welcoming to new employees. Start with one small change. Get out one of your note cards with a company logo on it and write a note to an employee who was recently hired but hasn’t officially started yet. It can be a simple note. “Welcome Emily! We are excited to have you on our team. I look forward to meeting you at orientation.”~you.

Over time, your new employees are going to feel like they are wanted and planned for. It will lead to other changes in your orientation program. Before long, you will have shifted a standard program into one that delights new employees. Its the first step to retention. 

We are in a sprint culture at work. We forge ahead because we think we have to or that is what is expected of us from Boards, CEOs, customers, employees, family members, regulatory agencies, etc. What they all want at some level is results. Maybe not all regulatory agencies fit in this category, but I digress. 

If you made it to this point in the article, I’m going to throw down a call to action. What is one small change you can make for your 1 degree shift? I want to know what it is and how it works out. Email me at [email protected] and let me know. 

Happy shifting!