Musings from the CU Suite

Mar 29, 2018

How You Do The Next Thing...

Written by Anthony Demangone, Powered by NAFCU

This phrase keeps popping up in stories that I read.

"How you do the next thing is likely how you'll do everything." 

I tried to find the original of that quote, but it seems to have been borrowed and shared quite a bit. I just know this for sure - I didn't come up with it.

I've met many successful people. The really successful people bring their A-game with them at all times. The school PTO gets their A-game. So does their kids. So does their spouse. So does their work. 

What a strong habit! No need to turn on the switch, because it is welded in the "on" position. Big job. Small job. Important job. Trivial work. If they are going to do it, they do it the right way.

My Nittany Lions are doing this. They didn't make the NCAA tournament. We rarely do.

We had a nice season but ended up in the NIT. There could have been a let-down. But the boys gave it their best, and they made the finals. They brought their A-game, even though they were disappointed.

I've written about this before. A Japanese man, Jiro, dreamed of making perfect sushi. It's just sushi, right? Wrong. He sought perfection in everything he did. Selection of the best fish. The best recipes. And he became a legend doing a simple thing, perfectly.  Talk about bringing your A-game.

I wish I could say that I consistently bring my best. But I don't.

But I can regroup, and take another shot at it. 

It is a habit I'd like to pick up.

                                                                              ***

Hey, faithful readers. I need your help. A member asked me what was the most common week of the month for a credit union board meeting. Unfortunately, I don't have the data.

I'm hoping you can help by completing this 2-question survey

About the Author

Anthony Demangone, Executive Vice President and COO, NAFCU

Anthony Demangone, NCCO is Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer at NAFCU, where he oversees day-to-day operations and manages the association's education, marketing, membership, human resources, building facilities, finance and information technology functions. He also authors NAFCU's executive blog, Musings from the CU Suite and co-authored "Managing and Leading Well," a book for credit union leaders, with NAFCU President and CEO Dan Berger.

Read full bio