Do you have a personal set of commandments? I do but I don't. I've feel like I try live my life with a set of principles, many of which I have identified in this blog. But I don't because I have never put them onto a list. I'm not envisioning a set of stone tablets; too difficult to modify, but there should be a list.
The whole notion of a personal set of commandments occurred to me when I Tweeted last week that I was impressed with the Twelve Commandments of author Gretchen Rubin on her Happiness Project blog. Hers is a simple list. So simple that you don't have to click through the hyperlink to get more information.
My goal is such a list. But I feel some intrinsic need to keep my list to ten. Here I go:
On a related note, check out Phil Gerbyshak's Ten Commandments of Management on Slacker Manager. Thanks Phil
Thanks for reading. Please lead quietly.
Don
The whole notion of a personal set of commandments occurred to me when I Tweeted last week that I was impressed with the Twelve Commandments of author Gretchen Rubin on her Happiness Project blog. Hers is a simple list. So simple that you don't have to click through the hyperlink to get more information.
My goal is such a list. But I feel some intrinsic need to keep my list to ten. Here I go:
- Always learning, always improving, always practicing.
- Be humble. (Added September 24, 2011 Link)
- Stay balanced.
- Be resourceful, be a problem solver.
- Show vision.
- Be nice, be decent, be fair.
- Serve.
- Show gratitude.
- Communicate well.
- Listen always.
The best answer is the honest answer.(Edited September 24, 2011. Link)
On a related note, check out Phil Gerbyshak's Ten Commandments of Management on Slacker Manager. Thanks Phil
Thanks for reading. Please lead quietly.
Don
6 comments:
Awesome list Don! Thanks for leading quietly and sharing your commandments. VERY powerful to think about what makes me tick.
I'm going to share my 10 commandments tomorrow on Slacker Manager.
Don- I saw the nice mention of my blog, The Happiness Project, here. I so much appreciate those kind words and you shining a spotlight on my blog! Bravo on developing your own commandments. Best wishes to you, Gretchen Rubin
@Phil
Your commandments on www.slackermanager are great. Thanks for the inspiration and insight.
@Gretchen
Thanks for visiting. I was truly inspired by my visit to the Happiness-Project.com site. Thanks for your work. I'm looking forward to the book.
Don
Nice list Don. It makes me wonder though a bit about the process that got you to it. How did you come up with this list? What was number 11?
I had heard other people talk about this list as a kind of "credo". What makes this list important to create and to refer back to?
Hi Pat,
Thanks for visiting and your questions. There is something about lists that many, including me, seem to like. I have written previously about my love of lists while adding my own.
Your questions are great. What is it about lists that makes them important? Maybe it says something about our sound bite, twitterized society. On the other hand influential lists from Forbes, Fortune, Dow, George Carlin, and Blackburn have been around for decades.
I do think that the list building process is a tremendous exercise in setting priorities and consolidation. At my work, our team collaborates to create lists of guiding principles. In the end, I view the collaboration and conversation are more important than the actual list.
In my process for this post, I started out with 18 - 20 items that I first brainstormed and then consolidated and distilled to my list of ten. The items beyond ten were given lower priority or consolidated. In the end, the list is just a list. But it does represent core values and beliefs. This I believe.
Don
Don, thanks for creating this lovely list. It made me smile just knowing other folks may be adopting these commandments at this very moment. A sure way to a better workplace and world!
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