The Set Point for the Week – Part 1

An All-Day High

“Once a week, have a meeting about the rules of the game.” When I read that line from Michael E. Gerber’s The E Myth in 1997, it made sense to me. I was running more than one project at a time and needed some way to get everybody on the same page at least once a week to figure out the details and issues.

The Wednesday Morning Operations Meeting does this and more for us at Nolan Painting. It is the most important thing we do all week. 

“Good Morning Nolan Painting! Nowhere else in the whole world is there a painting company, right this minute, with this many motivated people who are fired up and trying as hard as we are to be the best in the business.”

I say that once a week to the company members present at our 6 am Operations Meeting. In my heart and my mind, I really believe that’s true – if you get that many people on the same page, you can make audacious statements and do bold things.

Twenty-five years ago, I started the meetings at 7 am on Wednesdays and have done it every Wednesday since. Somewhere along the way, we decided we could do it at 6 am to be more efficient, allowing people to finish earlier and get on their way to work.

I didn’t love the super early start, especially since I have to be witty and entertaining (at least, I think I am), but if it served the team, I was willing. It wakes me up; I’m probably more awake than most people at that hour. So I get an edge, and after the meeting, I get a high that lasts all day. 

You don’t have to do it like we do, but you do need a set point each week to get everybody on the same page. That is what this series will be all about. See you Monday. Build muscle.