How much thought did you give to putting on your shoes and socks today? Chances are, not much.
However, paying attention to every detail, including the most seemingly mundane, can make the difference between being great–and everything else. That's the lesson attendees will learn in Wednesday's Career Skills Development Super Session at 9:15 a.m. with motivational speaker Don Yaeger.
Sweating the details is a lesson imparted to Yaeger by legendary basketball coach John Wooden. "Wooden recalled how, when he would open his first practice with freshman players, he would have them focus on putting their socks and shoes on," Yaeger says.
"The players didn't understand it, but Wooden told them, 'If your sock isn't smooth, you'll get a blister. If you get a blister, you can't practice. If you can't practice, you can't play. If you can't play, we can't win," he relates.
Think of how that philosophy translates to the workplace. "People have desks stacked three feet high. Wouldn't it make them more effective if they had a 'shoes and socks' moment and cleaned their desks?" Yaeger asks.
Yaeger has compiled lessons such as these, learned from working as a journalist and author over the years with numerous sports legends, into his "Sixteen Consistent Characteristics of Greatness." Those 16 fall under the four categories of "How They Think," "How They Prepare," "How They Work," and "How They Live."
He presents these characteristics in a business context. "Rick Pitino, another great coach, always creates a list of the important things he has to get done, then focuses on the least pleasant of those things to get done before 10 a.m. Otherwise, they'll lay on his mind for the rest of the day. So, in your work, deal with your least pleasant assignment first," he says.
Hands On
Yaeger's 8 a.m. keynote address today highlights four of the characteristics of greatness, and the Career Skills Super Session explores the remainder, which he presents in an interactive Q&A format focused on imparting life-changing skills that can be put to use immediately on the job.
"There's no formulaic aspect to this session. My goal is to challenge you from the lessons I've learned. For instance, if we discuss the value of association, we might identify a list of the people you spend the most time with," Yaeger explains.
"Then you'll look at that list and ask whether those people are headed where you're headed," he continues. "Do they want to do exceptional things, and do they encourage you to get there? Or are they an anchor–an emotional drain? As you determine who's in your inner circle, be sure you're spending time with people who are increasing who you are. I encourage people to go through that thought-out process."
Born and raised in Hawaii, Yaeger has traveled the world in pursuit of stories as different as walking into Afghanistan with the mujahideen as they fought the Soviets, going into Baghdad with the victorious Iraqi soccer team as the battle between insurgents and the U.S. military waged around them, and visiting China in pursuit of underworld characters counterfeiting American golf clubs. He has traveled to Damascus to find the last living terrorist from the 1972 Olympics, lived with football legend Walter Payton and his family as Payton courageously battled cancer, and hit the campaign trail with candidates from both parties during the 1988 presidential campaign.
A 1984 graduate of Ball State University with degrees in both journalism and history, Yaeger began his career as a reporter for the San Antonio Light, where he rose through the ranks to write investigative features for the daily publication. He subsequently moved on to the Dallas Morning News. Later, he moved to Florida to work as a political editor for the Florida Times-Union.
After several years of freelancing for Sports Illustrated, Yaeger joined the magazine's staff full time in July 1996. Two years later, he was promoted to associate editor, where his responsibilities were to cover not only sporting events but also the legal issues and controversies that affect the world of sports.
After Yaeger retired from Sports Illustrated and reflected on his career and the exceptional athletes he met, interviewed, and wrote about, he identified common characteristics they spoke of when asked about their success. He also found those characteristics transcended sports.
"When I left Sports Illustrated, I took the time to pull out all my old notebooks," Yaeger recalls. "I'd see that in the answers of Roger Staubach and Monika Seles and Cal Ripkin to similar questions, there were certain thoughts and practices that came up over and over."
An author of more than a dozen sports-related books, four of them New York Times bestsellers, Yaeger spends much of his time today sharing the lessons he's learned throughout his career with audiences across the country. He also owns a political consulting business and a public relations firm.
Be a Champion
A common thread runs through each of the 16 characteristics of greatness, according to Yaeger. "It's the smallest of details on which greatness is built and championships are won," he explains.
"The truly great understand the amount of effort they have to put in before they get to the field. However, too many people think showing up for work means showing up 30 seconds before the clock ticks 8 a.m. The most successful people are the first ones in the building–they're prepared, and by the time the day starts, they've done the prep work that's important to do for true success," Yaeger adds.
Come to the Career Skills Super Session, but before you do, ask yourself whether you've had your "shoes and socks moment" today.
"Make sure every day starts off with that attention to detail," advises Yaeger. "Every day has the opportunity to be a championship day."
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