Are you a 24-hour person?

Have you ever heard the term '24-hour person'? It's a concept that struck a chord with me while watching "Swagger" on Apple TV, a show inspired by NBA superstar Kevin Durant. In one of my favorite scenes, the coach describes a 24-hour person as…

??

“Not a person who says they will be there and not fight for you,?

it’s not a leader that disappears in a time of crisis,?

they are authentic, consistent, 24 hours a day,?

someone you can count on no matter what.”

?

This idea isn't just about availability; it's about the depth of character, the kind of unwavering support and presence that's invaluable in both our personal lives and in the workplace. It's a rare quality, one that reminds me of the African proverb:?

?

“If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.”

?

Shows like this take me back to the days of growing up in Baltimore City. The memory of when the stakes were high, hard, and even dangerous, your friends had your back no matter the circumstances. That’s the essence of a 24-hour person. And seeing, honoring, and having gratitude for the special 24-hour people in our lives matters, because when they’re no longer here, they leave behind a gaping hole in our hearts.??

Over the past year or so, several 24-hour people left us too soon.?

My brother, Eddie, passed away suddenly at 50 earlier this year. My long time friend, mentor and Baltimore innovator, Matt Goddard. One of my all-time favorite clients and friends, the former CEO of John Hancock, Pat Murphy. My high school football coach, Roger Wrenn. My college football coach, Jim Margraff. And one of the brightest lights I’ve ever seen come out of Baltimore in Pava Marie LaPere.

All were 24-hour people.?

Each gave me a gift—the example of what it means to show up regardless of circumstances for the people and causes you love.?

(BTW: If you or someone you know is looking for grief relief, my good friend, Dr. Sherry Walling has written one of the very best books to help one navigate grief. Check it out here)

Google’s Project Aristotle??

Back in 2012, Google kicked off a project, code-named Project Aristotle, to study hundreds of Google’s teams and figure out why some stumbled while others soared. The results were not what they expected.

Here’s what they found: Psychological Safety is the most critical factor in a team’s success.

Psychological safety refers to an environment where team members feel safe to take risks and be vulnerable in front of each other - i.e. they feel like their team “has their back.”?

In such teams, members are comfortable expressing themselves without fear of negative consequences to their self-image, status, or career.?

Basically, all you need is a team willing to commit to being 24-hour people for each other, or at the very least, a 24-hour leader.

?Question: How has hybrid work changed what it means to “have someone’s back?” Is it expressed differently digitally?

The Digital 24-hour Person?

Can we still be 24-hour people for each other, even from a distance?

Tech teams and developers have been doing this for decades. They found a way to work in sprints, not marathons or waterfalls. They found a way to collaborate outside of email with platforms like Slack. And most recently, one of the largest HR tech platforms, Atlassian, acquired Loom, an asynchronous tech platform where people became ok with sending out unedited videos of themselves to their colleagues.?

Hybrid work challenges leaders to figure out ways to: ?

? have better digital collisions

? stay out of the fray of all the digital noise

? get everyone on the same page, without scheduling more meetings

It's about creating digital spaces where we can be present, engaged, and supportive – the very essence of a 24-hour person, but in the digital realm. We have spent the last year plus creating these spaces because the old tools and ways of doing it no longer work.?

Leaders need their teams to move faster and produce more…in less time.

This requires total engagement of every single individual on the team.?

Fun history fact: the concept of employee engagement made its appearance in the 1990s which is when Gallup created their famous Q12 Engagement Survey.?

According to recent studies - only 32% of people are engaged - which hasn’t changed much over the years.

What engaged versus disengaged teams can accomplish is night and day. And we all know how hard it is to get an entire group of people (let alone an entire organization) fully engaged (or “all-in” as we call it).?

?But when it happens, we’re in flow - where our work becomes selfless, effortless, and timeless.?

This is happening for one of our clients who has achieved 85% engagement every single week for the last 8 weeks.?

A huge win???

Two simple questions for you as we head into a new year:

1. How will you get your team “all-in” and keep them there for the whole year??
2. How will you create a culture where your 24-hour people can flourish??

Book a demo with me to see how you can get your team from day 1 of 2024 to “latch on and shift forward” (<--c’mon…you know that’s gold ??)

An Early Holiday Giveaway

Is it safe to mention 2024 is nearly here??

A few weeks ago, we put it in the subject line and it was the lowest open rate of the year ?? Turns out, most people (like 90%+) weren’t quite ready for the plans and priorities to reset again.?

To smoothly slide into the new year with ease and grace instead of crashing into it like a wrecking ball on fire, we’re giving you the best of the best from our vault of resources we’ve created over the past 22 years. Just for you. Enjoy!

Annual RESET Playbook → more than a strategic plan; it’s a ritual for your entire team to reflect and set goals for the upcoming year.?

25 Reasons Why → a powerful exercise to reconnect with your purpose

Ultimate Intentions Activator → a tool for prioritizing what matters most?

Culture Canvas → a worksheet for creating clarity, inspiring connection, and building capacity

Productive Meetings Bundle → 3 worksheets to make sure your meetings are aces

Hybrid Blueprint → how to lead and thrive in a hybrid world

Feel free to reach out if there's a tool, a worksheet, or something else you're in need of. Chances are - we've created it.?

?? Joe

Joe Mechlinski

CEO, SHIFT

New York Times Best Selling Author, Grow Regardless

Wall Street Journal Best Selling Author, Shift the Work