How often do you focus on your fundamentals? There are so many places where we rely on muscle memory, or mental memory, instead of pausing to think about the habit we have formed and shortcuts that are part of that habit. As we wrap up the NCAA basketball season and all the games that we watch condensed into a tight timeframe (called March Madness), I think about how much effort those athletes put into their fundamentals. With a solid foundation under them, the day-to-day adjustments necessary to play different teams in such tight succession are easier. Not easy, but easier.

Now think about how many adjustments you make for different personalities, temperaments, and communication styles each day. Checking back on your fundamentals — communicating in those ways that resonate with the receiver as one example — that are easy to shortcut into the habit of communicating through your lens and missing important details. Pausing to reflect on what went well and what could have been better is a very important feedback loop for your projects…aka your March Madness.