The Baby & the Bath Water
Posted by Orrin Woodward on November 18, 2011
Have you ever heard the quote, “Don’t throw the baby out with the dirty bath water?” I certainly have used this principle repeatedly over the years. Sadly, too many times, people do throw the baby and the bath water out because they do not understand fully the concept described in Chapter 5 of the new RESOLVED book – Plan, Do, Check, and Adjust (PDCA). Remember, anytime you throw out the baby, you also throw out your opportunity. It’s been my experience that anything worth doing is worth doing poorly until you can do it great. The key is to have emotional intelligence to persist while improving.
For example, every leader in any community carries two buckets with him. One filled with gas, the other, filled with water. Wisdom is determining which bucket to toss on the situation. If everyone is excited and things are happening then throw the gas bucket, firing up the situation even more. Conversely, if people are being stretched, don’t throw more gas onto the situation. Instead, throw water, helping the people to see that the dirty water will be flushed, leaving a clean baby with amazing potential.
Have you discerned which bucket to throw at the right time yet? If you haven’t, keep listening to the LIFE Leadership CD’s. Over time, you will develop the wisdom to apply the right principles at the right time and make a difference in your community. So let’s flush the dirty water and help the new LIFE baby grow into the fully grown life-changing business that it promises to be. Let’s build our LIFE Business on foundational principles that will stand the test of time.
When Laurie and I traveled with Chris Brady to Jerusalem, we toured the remains of the Herod’s temple. Their were foundation stones that were huge! Even the Roman’s couldn’t tear them down, so they buried them instead. This is the type of foundation that endures the passage of time.
I am elated with the launch of LIFE, not because everything went perfect, (although I am very happy with the progress) but because everything went. In the process of launching a new company, I fully expected issues that would need improvement and I have a full list of areas to improve. However, the goal was to ensure that none of the issues were game stoppers. Thankfully, none of them are. Volume is being tracked, legs are growing fast, and people’s lives are being changed. Subscriptions are increasing hundreds everyday. FIRED UP!
My commitment, as Co-Founder and Chairman of LIFE, is any area where we can improve will have the PDCA process applied to it. In the first 18 days, we have hundreds of customers, thousands of members, and many more of both on the way! We are going to build a world-class streaming video process that can go anywhere in North America. We will produce world-class content that will change the destiny’s of people, businesses, charities, and churches across the world. Sincerely, Orrin Woodward
17 Responses to “The Baby & the Bath Water”
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damon417 said
My next area of improvement is capabilities. We are subscribers to Team training and Life material to help build and sustain our roots. Now we have to get after it to build the branches for our fruits to hang on and thrive. Then victory is right around the corner.
Wendy Amos said
I am excited that we will have a world-class streaming video process that will go anywhere in North America!! – perhaps in the future around the globe?
I like William A. Ward’s “8 P Plan”:
Plan Purposefully
Prepare Prayfully
Proceed Positively
Pursue Persistently
Many Blessings!!
=)Wendy Amos
A Rascal
Nic Manogue said
Orrin thanks to you and the Policy Council for all you do…I have learned so much in the past 15 months and am so inspired by the CDs, Books, Leaders, Mentors, and Association that I am involved with on a daily basis. LIFE could not be better!
Lisa Mangold said
Orrin,
I have known you to be an expert at improving upon things. Everything you have done through the years has helped our family move forward in many areas of life. What you are doing through this business will be a huge economic solution and blessing to all who treat it like a business!
Blessings,
Lisa Mangold
Robert Wilcox said
Orrin,
Thank you for all you and the Policy Council have done! You merged four industries based on competence credibility compensation and cost competitiveness. We as LIFE members appreciate your persistence in going through the PDCA over and over to create the LiFE Program. When you have a strong foundation of principles every question you ask yourself boils down to what your principles are. Thank you for instilling that upon me and my family. Thank you and Chris for not throwing out the baby with the bathwater…
Andrea and Mike Renkas said
Thank you, Orrin. The TEAM and LIFE is a blessing in our lives. I am thankful for people like you and Laurie, and the rest of the PC for what you have all done for the benefit of all of us.
Andrea Renkas
robbyandemily said
This is all so fantastic!! I can’t imagine what it will be like after you PDCA! Orrin Woodward, you impress me, more everyday! I thank God for making my path cross yours!
John Fellhauer said
Orrin
I pitty the people that do not get on this system to help them selfs get better in all aspects of their lives.
thanks for working so hard to make your dream become our Teams dream
Terrence B. Cutler said
Awesome, will be looking forward to the streaming video.
carol ellswoth said
Thank you Orrin; with you as our leader, we will achieve!! Thank you foryour selfless service May the Lord continue to bless you richly C Ellsworth
Tim McNeil said
Orrin,
As my wife and I are nearing our 1st anniversary with the Team, I want to earnestly thank you for all that you do. While you have been concentrating on keeping the clean baby in the tub, I’ve been learning how not to throw family and friends under the bus. Something I had been doing for a long time and been unaware that I’d been doing it. The lessons I’m learning as a man near sixty, are ones that I hope to pass on to future grandchildren. Oliver DeMille struck a chord with me when he asked what (if ever) have we done for our grandchildren? My goal is to plant as many “oak trees” for them and for America’s future as possible while I still have breath in me to do it! Thank you and thank the Policy Council.
God Bless,
T’nT
Sheldon Bouchard said
LIFE is amazing! It seems every day I realize another aspect of how terrific this business truly is! Having the opportunity to sit down with people and have a conversation about things that have been on their minds and hearts for sometime and yet remain within. Having a system – a time-proven life-coaching system – that they can access on their time, over and over again to help them in the areas of life they have identified. Having principles to share like PDCA which one young lady described as allowing the magnificent girl that was inside to be released by understanding and growing through the trials.
Thanks to you Orrin and Laurie and to all the co-founders and leaders of LIFE!
Marsh and Sue Lohr said
LIFE’s launch was fabulous, and the business is getting better every day. We are FIRED UP and can’t wait to be at the seminar on December 10! See you there!
Eric H Stone said
Orrin I love the article. I can honestly say that the one thing I absolutely do not worry about is the whether the Policy Council will adjust LIFE when it needs to.
Rob Crichlow said
There is always room for improvement, but LIFE has launched and it has been simply amazing. People are hungry for improvement in the 8 F’s. Orrin Woodward and the PC have done a great job in bringing out a new business. Having started both domestic and international businesses, I found the launch of the LIFE business very successful. Lead on!
Steven said
Great post, Orrin. I especially love your gas and water bucket analogy. Some managers just keep throwing more and more from the gas bucket and end up being surprised when they see an explosion, when it should be obvious what was going to happen…
Valente Herrera said
Orrin Resolved is another great book. I just have a few more pages to finish it and I am going to start it over again. Amazing!
Thank you man!
Valente Herrera