As a leader, you’d like to improve the results of your business. Everyone on your team would!

Yet, it’s difficult to improve when we’re caught in the routine of doing our regular day-to-day activities. Some people call this the “same ole, same ole” trap.

How can you get people out of a rut and generating ideas? I suggest implementing a technique I picked up from the inspirational book and video 212°: The Extra Degree by Sam Parker and Mac Anderson. Check it out here.

Ask yourself and/or your team members to complete this statement:

If I or a team member did/made just one extra ____________each ____________, the results would be __________________________.

The first blank represents Action.

The second blank represents Timeframe.

The third blank represents the Outcome.

A few examples:

If I took just one extra course each quarter, the results would be a master’s degree in two years. 

If I made just one extra customer call each hour, the results would be a 10 percent increase in sales.

If we wrote just one more proposal each day, the results would be $100,000 more in sales.

Leadership Tip

First, download this worksheet. Then, at your next team meeting, go around the table a few times. Challenge each person to come up with a handful of implementable suggestions, write them on the worksheet, prioritize them, and take action.

You’ll be surprised how many actions your team comes up with for generating better results.