Parenting Is: Continuous Quality Improvement

Parenting Is: Continuous Quality Improvement

The very best response to the vast majority of children’s misbehavior is a simple, quiet conversation moderated by reason, wisdom, and compassion; a conversation that guides the child quietly and gently to a better, more helpful place in life.  

Raising children is a long, gradual process.  It takes years and years of patient and persistent effort. Gentle guidance is the primary choice in parenting. 

Sometimes a planned system of positive and negative consequences makes sense.  This is not a system of rewards and punishment, so to speak, but a well crafted system of inductive consequences; constructive and instructive consequences that gradually teach better behavior, better problem solving skill, and better decision-making skill.

Arbitrary and / or harsh consequences should be avoided.  They are far more likely to inflame the situation and create resentment within the child which will obscure any learning benefit.   

It is far more likely that arbitrary and / or harsh consequences will increase misbehavior, rather than decrease it, and also decrease the frequency of positive behaviors.

Everything in life is practice to mastery.  Everyone needs the opportunity to practice new skills gradually over time in order to master them.  Everyone makes mistakes and needs the opportunity to practice making amends and to practice regrouping and moving forward again. 

Instructive, constructive, and reparative consequences gradually influence thinking, feeling, and behaving in a productive direction.  

K. H. Little Consulting Services

Kenneth H. Little, MA

cell: (603) 726-1006

kenlittle-nh.com

Difficulty: Face, Confront, Overcome

 Face, Confront, Overcome. 

Some people practice avoiding difficulties. This is understandable. Difficulties can really suck. However, the skill refined by practicing avoiding difficulty is … avoiding difficulty. 

The skill we really want to practice is navigating and overcoming difficulty. 

When this skill is strengthened, we can be more selective in choosing which difficulties to take on to our best advantage and which difficulties to circumnavigate*. 

It becomes a choice. Having the skill set empowers us to choose. Not having the skill set leaves us with no option but to avoid difficulty. 

*Circumnavigating is not the same as avoiding. There are many ways to deal with an obstacle to continue our journey. Avoiding dealing with the obstacle isn’t one of them. 

K. H. Little Consulting Services

Kenneth H. Little, MA

cell: (603) 726-1006

kenlittle-nh.com

Continuous Quality Improvement

 

Want to improve your company? 

First, start by making a list of all 1 bazillion problems your company is struggling with. 

Then:

Whittle it down to the top 100,000 problems. 

Then: 

Whittle it down to the top 10,000 problems.

Then:

Whittle it down to the top 1,000 problem. 

Then:

Whittle it down to the top 100 problems. 

Then:

Whittle it down to the top 10 problems.

Then: 

Pick the top 2 problems to start with. 

Once you’ve got these 2 headed in the right direction, using Successive Approximations to slowly refine your processes and outcome, move to the next 2 problems on your list. 

Celebrate all the small wins the team achieves. 

#NewHampshire 

Leading Change

Leading Change Can be Difficult

Here are 7 helpful (not easy) steps.

Step 1: Know change is necessary

Step 2: Create the vision to focus all efforts in the desired direction

Step 3: Form an empowered improvement team with decision-making power. Hand them the new vision.

Step 4: Communicate the new vision to the entire organization.

Step 5: Establish a very real sense of urgency.

Step 6: Empower others to act on the vision

·      Remove obstacles

·      Change systems and structures to align with the new vision

·      Encourage risk-taking and non-traditional / innovative ideas (out of the box) ideas

Step 7: Plan for and create short-term wins.

·      Plan for visible performance improvements

·      Create these improvements, make them happen

·      Celebrate successes!

·      Recognize and reward employees involved in the improvements

Step 8: Institutionalize the new approaches.

·      Articulate the connection between the new behaviors and success.

·      Develop the means to ensure leadership development and succession.

For more information, contact Ken

K. H. Little Consulting Services

Kenneth H. Little, MA

cell: (603) 726-1006

kenlittle-nh.com