The last entry was about coaching nudges, deadlifting, and good form.  Today, we will build on the idea of proper form as it relates to lifting and work.

As long as you have enough raw power, you can lift something even if you don’t have the right form.  This goes for weights, couches, boxes, and more.  However, lifting without good form does have a cost to it.  You could tire yourself out more easily, get injured, or not be able to lift as much as you could with the right form.  The fundamentals of good form increases your strength because it enables your body to capitalize on the synergy of your muscles moving together in the right way.  Like I mentioned in the deadlift story, I improved my form and was instantly able to lift more weight without getting tired or irritating my back.  In short, good form is the secret to taking your strength to the next level.

Let’s connect this to work.  Have you ever seen someone who winged an entire presentation?  Have you ever seen someone lead a meeting when they haven’t prepared for it?  Have you ever been one of those people?  I have.  Sometimes this has worked out okay.  Sometimes it has been a disaster.  Rarely, has it ever been as smooth and efficient as if I would have been more intentional about preparing and doing things the right way.  With all that in mind, these examples are great parallels to our metaphor this week.  In each instance, the person relied on their brute strength/skill as opposed to leveraging “good form”.  Whether it’s presenting, running meetings, scoping out projects, or anything else, there are usually a few key fundamental things/frameworks you can leverage to make it easier.  These frameworks are what good form is all about.  Sure, you might be able to do things on raw skill alone.  However, I guarantee you that combining that skill with the right form will make everything more efficient and easier.

The challenge: Are you seeking to understand what good form looks like before tackling a challenge?  How are you leveraging the correct “form” at work?

Have a jolly good day,

Andrew Embry