Effective Humans

Part I: What defines an effective human?

In his autobiography titled ​Can’t Hurt Me, David Goggins fixed his eyes on a daunting task;

“Four thousand and twenty pull ups. Sounds superhuman, right? It did to me too. Until I did the math….”

During the process of training for the impossible, Goggins pointed out the importance of a tool he coined, the ‘accountability mirror’. It is a tool that demands an honest confrontation with yourself. Look at yourself in the accountability mirror and make a commitment to meet your goals. In that reflection you will also face your flaws and weaknesses point-blank. David Goggins had to know exactly where his Achilles heel was before he attempted the most pull ups a human had ever recorded in 24 hours.  ​If you step up to conquer a goal that seems physically impossible, you’ll have to dig deep and crunch the numbers. You’ll use patience to manage your skills and make a schedule. You’ll reflect on your values and be frank with yourself. You will follow your personal mission statement. And ​when ​​you ​ ​do the math, you’ll probably realize your own effectiveness.

Goggins broke down the number of pull up reps and amount of rest-time necessary per set; minute by minute, hour by hour, to reach his goal. He lined out his training regimen. He identified his weaknesses and his strengths. His rock-solid grip was a strength. But specialized endurance, technical aspects like the bar height and stability in relation to his body mechanics were a weakness. He looked into his ‘accountability mirror’ and made the necessary adjustments. ​Just 4 pull ups per minute for 17 hours would get him to 4,080…​easy right?

‍

------------  

Consider the mission of ‘​effectiveness’ ​ broken down into three levels.  An individual human asset, teams made up of multiple assets, and a final product. In the following scenario, effective human assets yield a successful product:

1.In the first stage there is an activation of a singular asset, one that is capable of producing something on its own. It takes only one effective person to do a pull up, or hammer a nail.

2.Picture an amalgamation of this entity within an interdependent group. In this stage the strengths of each initial asset elevate the capability of the whole team. The team is stronger together. In addition, each of the initial asset’s output potentials are increased. It takes more than one effective person to carry a truss or to hang drywall.

3.Imagine that the value of the final product exceeds the combined gross output of the collective that created it. You can measure effectiveness when you find that the whole ​was greater than the sum of its parts at the finish line.

That is what 361 is all about. From the stakeholders’ vision, to the blueprints, to driving the nail, synergy in the team creates the successful execution of a quality build.

     ----------------

A call to action is undeniably upon us. Medical professionals are selflessly rushing to fight the war against COVID-19. The doctors, nurses, nurse practitioners and the assisting military personnel ​define ​ effective humans.​  ​One medical professional can save a life. But you need a team to handle a pandemic.

‍

Last week my fiancé took an assignment to staff a pop-up hospital for COVID-19 patients. She is an NP treating infected patients with her new team - medical staff recruited from all over the country. They are currently holding the line at the first wave of the coronavirus affront in the USA. ​She​ defines an effective human. She is a critical asset within a team that is synergizing to win this war.

“This was war alright, but it wouldn’t be fought on some foreign shore. This one, like most battles we fight in life, would be won or lost in our own minds” ​ -David Goggins, ​Can’t Hurt Me  

On January 19, 2013, Goggins rocked out ​four thousand and thirty pull ups in 17 hours, breaking the world record for pull ups by 10 in a 24-hour period. He did the math. He made a schedule. And he held himself accountable throughout the grueling training that led up to that day. This feat serves as an example of activation of a singular asset. The first stage of “​effectiveness ​ ” is that of the self.  

At times we grapple with the seemingly insurmountable just because we want to, as Goggins did. Other times we don’t have a choice

‍

Everyone on the planet is facing the same daunting task right now- ​DEFEAT COVID-19! Over the last four weeks, we have experienced a global paradigm shift. There are few answers to the questions on the minds of many businesses, schools and families. Now is the time for leaders to step up. It's a time for effective humans to join a team, draw the blueprints, and drive the nail!

The effective teams and leaders currently rushing to the front lines are our family, co-workers and friends. Thank you to the COVID Relief Medical Staff across the USA and the world, PPE suppliers, mask and scrub sewers, the US Army Corps., National Guard, Marines, Navy, Air Force, our Working Warriors, and the 361 Degrees Builders Team.

‍