There is a phrase in computer programming “Garbage in; garbage out.” The idea is that a computer can only do what it is instructed to do; so, if the instructions are no good then the output of the machine is either going to be wrong or the system will crash.
This idea could be applied almost anywhere but what the everyday leader needs to understand is that what they put in will determine what they get out. An Olympic runner would never assume victory by filling their body with an excess consumption of foods high in sugar and fat. Just as the pilot planning a cross country trip would never do so by watching the weather channel and looking at google maps. These examples are of the highest level of training and specialization, and they would never put something into the equation that could reduce the likelihood of their success.
You do not have to be a computer programmer, an Olympic athlete, or a commercial pilot to understand that if you put trash in you are going to get trash out. The personal, interpersonal, or small team level of leadership can really expose the relationship between input and output. If you expect to trend closer to the results that you’ve set out for yourself then turning your attention to the inputs is a quick way to get yourself heading in the right direction. The leader who is late for everything would certainly get somewhere by keeping a calendar and working on their tendency to wait until the last second to do anything. The leader who consistently finds themselves bickering with those closest to them could easily avoid these situations by committing to actively listening to others and shifting their focus from their own benefits to what they need to do to get everyone closer to the goal.
The point is most situations that leave you wishing things had gone better, could have, if you alone had committed to putting in something better in the beginning.
The problem with this idea is not how easy it is to understand it’s the fact that people will get garbage out and then find anything other than the garbage put in to identify how they got to the place they are currently.
The everyday leader must recognize that they themselves can fall victim to garbage in; garbage out. With the countless forms of entertainment and “news” out there anyone could read or watch from enough sources that make them ineffective at interacting with those around them. How many times have you seen someone around you that acts as if they live within the reality of their favorite show? By consuming too much of this news or entertainment these real people are removing themselves from the real world they live in. We all know of the people who go home and have no energy to do anything but to get fast food and play video games late into the night, in fact I am guilty of this very thing. But I recognize that I would have more energy to do the things I claim to be important if I went home and had a home cooked meal and went to bed at an appropriate time leaving me ready to prepare for the day ahead.
If the highest stakes require leaders to recognize that their outputs are dependent on their inputs; then what opportunities do you have to do a better job of putting in what’s needed to get your desired result?
How many times have you been disappointed in your results when a quick tweak in the way you approached the situation would have eliminated the gap? What do you need to remove from your every day to get to the place where you see yourself? What can you put in to get more out?