What Makes You ACT?

Do you remember the acronym you used in middle school to solve math problems – PEMDAS (Please Excuse My Dear Aunt Sally)?

You used it to unwind your math problems correctly. First you solved what was in parenthesis, then any exponents, finally you completed multiplication, division, addition and subtraction operations, in that order, to get a result.

Here’s an acronym to help others ACT and grow more professionally. ACT is used to: A – apply to yourself, C – change yourself, and T – transfer to others who would benefit.

You use it to seize opportunities to grow. For example, after your team debriefs on a project, go around the room and give everyone a chance to ACT. Ask them:

1. How can you apply to yourself, what you learned on this project?
2. What can you change in yourself that would improve your condition?
3. What did you learn that could benefit others?

The ACT habit attached to a project, process, training or meeting will:

1. Cause team members to be introspective.
2. Draw-out shared learning for the benefit of all.
3. Push value to the surface that otherwise would go unrealized.

There are certain acronyms that stay with you over time and this should be one of them. What do you think? Use ACT, then follow-up with team members on how they ACTed and share a result on this post’s comments section.