For pretty much my entire life, I’ve been fortunate never to suffer any significant injury or have any severe health challenges. Except for a few bouts of COVID, I have rarely been sick if at all over the past few years. Then at the start of October, I caught some type of lingering virus and cold that lasted a few weeks. And right as I was finally recovering and feeling back to myself again, I caught a rough stomach virus that totally debilitated me for several days.
Since, I’ve been thinking about a quote I heard (or read?) somewhere:
“Health is a crown the healthy wear but only the sick can see.”
It really hit home. I hate being sick. It sucks not feeling able to do the things you want to do. And yet it’s so hard not to take feeling healthy for granted, because feeling healthy consumes zero mental energy. I am finally feeling healthy again and trying to remind myself to be grateful for it.
The single most important piece of professional advice I’ve ever received and now regularly offer is to maintain a high “Say-Do” ratio.
The “Say – Do” ratio refers to the ratio of how consistently your actions match your words. I first learned about the concept at Onex during a Lunch and Learn session with one of the most respected CEOs in the portfolio of businesses at the time, Kirk Hachigan. He had dramatically improved performance at one of their largest companies in a very short period and was a bit of an internal celebrity. His answer to the question “What is the single biggest differentiator you’ve seen across executives you’ve worked with during your career?” was a high Say-Do ratio.
Though simple, there is immense power in operating with a high Say-Do. Consistently delivering on your stated commitments earns you tremendous respect and trust from your peers. It a) breeds trust, b) boosts credibility, c) encourages accountability, and d) improves team alignment. Leaders with high Say-Do ratios have the added benefit of being perceived as more competent.
Most people are familiar with the concept. What’s underappreciated is that the power of Say-Do comes from maintaining as near 100% a ratio as possible. The gap between 75% consistency and 98% is dramatic in terms of the signal it sends to your team or organization. I use 98% because I think perfection is unrealistic.
This concept can and should be taken almost to an extreme. Obviously, if you have committed to your team or boss a delivery date on a big project it’s important to meet it. But it’s the micro interactions that matter in terms of consistently demonstrating high Say-Do and cultivating a reputation for trust and follow through. Did you mention to your boss you’d send them an interesting article and then never deliver? Of course, as a single occurrence that’s no big deal. It happens all the time. But if you can be the type of person who demonstrates near perfect follow-through, it will have a material positive impact on your career. As a leader, demonstrating consistent follow-through helps breed a culture where that becomes the expectation, which has a positive multiplier effect on organizational accountability.
For how simple it is, it’s difficult to persistently deliver on. There are constant distractions that get in the way of follow through; it takes a heightened awareness and real discipline to deliver.
As incredibly important as a high Say-Do ratio is professionally, the spirit of it applies equally to your personal life. The quality of your relationships will benefit from being a person who follows through on your word with your friends and family.
I’ve sometimes heard alternative versions of the same concept. For example, “always be the team member that doesn’t need progress to be checked in on”. That’s a wordy way of saying keep your Say-Do high.
These days, there are far more high-quality movies, TV shows, podcasts, blogs, and books to consume than time allows, which makes filtering important and more challenging. Particularly with books, I often struggle to decide what to read next. If all the options you’re considering are positively reviewed and come strongly recommended, how do you choose? Of the last five books I’ve read, all had a 4.5+ review on Amazon and each was personally recommended by someone I respect. And I easily could have gone without one of them (maybe two).
I was reminded this week of a great tip, which is to listen to a short interview or podcast from the author around the time of release. Fortunately, over the past decade, it’s become common practice for authors of popular books to do a tour as a Podcast guest as part of their book launch. Listening to the author provides a helpful sneak peek into the content, as well as a feel for the author, without requiring a significant time investment. If I enjoy the podcast and finish wanting more, it’s a positive indicator I should read the book. If I feel the podcast was enough, I can confidently pass on the book.
