Becoming a better executive

Hey guys,

I spoke with Amy, Dustin, and Kyle today about an idea that I’ve been
milling around for a while now. The idea started with a simple question:

What have I done today to become a better executive? This week? This semester?

The answer may be difficult for anyone to put their finger on. However, I think it is a question perceived as important. How often do we stop and think about what we are doing to become better executives? How often do we think about what we *could* be doing? I think this is one of those things that is at least in the back of everyone’s mind. I’d like to bring it forward.

After brainstorming some ideas, I think the four of us agree that the HMIGSA Blog would be a good tool to get the conversation started on this topic.

I’d like to start with Stephen Covey’s “7 Habits of Highly Effective People”. He has some great strategies that can be implemented in both a personal and professional capacity.

My thought is this: Make blog posts starting with “pre-habits” and then the 7 habits. We’d post one habit per month. HMIGSAers can then spend the week reflecting on the habit and comment with their personal thoughts or experiences. Pretty simple, but far from easy. Eventually, as you read each others’ comments, you pick out a few gems that you think you want to try in your journey to become a better executive. You can then share those experiences with the group and we grow even more.

I think this idea solidified for me during the VA Friday Forum. After
hearing about the level of autonomy and responsibility afforded to those students privileged enough to work for the VA, I started to think I was missing out. I wanted to know more about what they were doing and how they were doing it. I wanted to know what struggles they faced and how they managed them.

Each of these two facets (7 habits and Shared Experiences) could have an immediate impact on how we think about ourselves, our degrees, our careers, and our lives.

Andrew