How to Ensure Progress Even on Your Toughest Days: Embracing Bare Acceptable Minimums (BAMs)
I woke up with a start. I smelled something burning. I glanced at the clock. It was 3:38 AM.
Oh, I bet Seth left the stove on when he was making his “second dinner” of 2 AM macaroni and cheese, I thought to myself.*
I ran downstairs expecting to see a charred-bottom pot and a melted spatula.
Instead, I ran into my 16-year-old.
“Seth, did you burn your mac and cheese?”
“No..”, he said, holding the pot and looking puzzled.
“Then what is that burning smell!?”
“What burning smell?”**
“What do you mean what smell? That intense smell of burned plastic!!”
I look around the kitchen trying to spot the source of the overwhelming odor.
“Oh no, not burned plastic, burned rubber…sulfur…skunk.”
I opened the door to the basement, where our dogs sleep for the night, (and also my home office, unfortunately), and sure enough, our dogs reeked of skunk musk.
I gave them a quick once-over to make sure they weren’t injured.
They looked and acted fine. They just smelled terrible.
I quickly ran outside so they would follow me into our fenced-in backyard.
I jumped back inside and closed their dog door behind me.
I filled two dishes with water and put them on the back deck.
I’ll deal with them later.
First, I have to start airing out the house.
Two hours later, I had made some progress.
Maybe.
I needed to give my nose a rest so I changed my clothes and went to the gym.
On my way home, I stopped at the pet store to get pet shampoo for skunked dogs.
When I got home, I could still smell skunk in the house, albeit much more faintly, so I started round two of getting rid of the scent.
For the next six hours, I washed the dogs’ bedding, cleaned the floors, and simmered vinegar on the stove. I also took several of my scheduled virtual meetings, rescheduled a few, and cobbled together a quick lunch.
By that time, it was 6 PM and I just had to hold on long enough to take my daughter to her archery practice.
Then, I could wash the dogs, take my third shower of the day, and call this ordeal over.
I was backing out of the driveway with my daughter, when our girl dog, Taylor, trotted up beside us.
I looked at her, confused, because, if you recall, I left the dogs in our FENCED-IN backyard.
Well, Taylor spent the day digging a hole under the fence.
Really, two skunked dogs AND a hole in the fence? What a crappy time for my husband to be out of town on business travel.
I grabbed Taylor, put her in our garage, and went to inspect the fence.
The hole was too small for our other dog, Lucky, to get through.
I ran back into the house to tell Seth what happened and to not let Taylor out of the garage.
Then, I dropped my daughter off at archery practice and returned home.
Seth helped me get the dogs bathed and the hole in the fence blocked.
I brought my daughter home and declared to my kids, “I’m done for the day!”
Then, I called my husband and recounted the day’s events.
“I’m sorry you had such a bad day, honey.” he said.
“Thanks, it really did suck but, it wasn’t THAT bad.” I chuckled.
“I made it to the gym, followed my diet, and made a little bit of progress on presentations.”
I meant it.
It wasn’t a bad day.
It was a BAM day.
BAM stands for Bare Acceptable Minimums.
These are the minimum set of actions or goals that must be accomplished to ensure that progress continues, even on the most chaotic of days.
If all of your days always go as planned, you can skip this article.
On the other hand, if you live in a world where meetings run over, urgent issues arise, and personal emergencies occasionally hijack your schedule, you might want to learn about BAMs.
In this newsletter you will learn:
- The advantages of setting BAMs
- How to Implement the BAMs Approach (A Step-By-Step Guide)
- Examples of BAMs in practice
The Advantages Of Setting BAMs.
I learned about BAMs from my nutrition coach. I joined Precision Nutrition Coaching during the height of COVID. Like so many, I was slowly putting on excess weight and my usual exercise and nutrition strategies weren’t working. Along with the usual lessons about healthy eating and portion sizes was a lesson about BAM’s. My nutrition coach said, “Think about the most basic eating and movement goals you could set to keep yourself on track even when the entire day goes to crap. It could be just 10 pushups or a protein shake. Anything that is in the direction of your goals. That way you can make even the tiniest amount of progress.”
Since then, I’ve come to appreciate the concept of setting Bare Acceptable Minimums in all aspects of my life. I recommend the approach to my leadership coaching clients.
Far too often, my clients come to me assuming they lack discipline, time management, or focus because they can’t get everything they planned completed every single day. Sometimes, they can but at least a couple of times a week, they fall short. When I ask them about those days, they tell me about emergency production problems, an unexpected lengthy call from an investor, or a parent who slipped and fell and needed immediate care.
Then, I gently remind them that they aren’t unfocused and lacking discipline. They just made a plan for ideal conditions and then lived in a day when the conditions weren’t ideal.
The solution to that isn’t making another unrealistic plan and trying even harder to make it work. The solution is to find a way to still make progress on the days when conditions are less than ideal.
This is where the concept of BAMs becomes a game-changer for effective leadership.
BAMs are not about excelling; they’re about surviving and maintaining forward motion.
They are the safety net that prevents a complete standstill when everything else falls apart.
You know, like when you wake up in the middle of the night to two skunked dogs and a hole in your fence.
Here are just a few of the advantages of creating BAMs.
Ensure Consistent Progress: BAMs help leaders ensure that, regardless of the day’s disruptions, some progress is made towards key objectives. This consistency prevents backsliding and keeps the momentum going, even if only incrementally. By maintaining a minimum level of activity, leaders can avoid the paralysis that often accompanies overwhelmed schedules.
In Teresa Amabile’s influential book, “The Progress Principle”, she and her co-author Steven Kramer explore the profound impact that consistent, daily progress can have on motivation, engagement, and overall success. Their research, grounded in extensive studies and real-world observations, underscores the importance of making progress, no matter how small, in fostering a productive and innovative work environment.
Reduce Decision Fatigue: On days filled with unexpected challenges, making decisions can become exhausting. BAMs standards provide a predetermined set of actions that need no additional thought, freeing up mental resources to deal with the immediate crisis. This reduction in decision fatigue helps leaders stay sharp and focused on critical issues without losing sight of long-term goals.
Maintain Morale and Motivation: Knowing that some progress is still achievable, even on bad days, can significantly boost morale. BAMs offer a sense of accomplishment and control, reducing the frustration that comes with feeling derailed. This positive reinforcement helps maintain motivation and keeps the team’s spirits high, fostering a resilient and adaptable work culture.
Promote Time Management Skills: Implementing BAMs requires leaders to prioritize tasks effectively. By identifying the essential actions that constitute the bare minimum, leaders hone their ability to distinguish between what’s truly important and what’s not. This skill in prioritization and time management becomes invaluable, not just on bad days, but in everyday leadership.
Enhance Team Trust and Reliability: When leaders consistently achieve BAMs, they model reliability and resilience for their teams. This behavior sets a powerful example, demonstrating that progress is possible even under adverse conditions. It builds trust within the team, as members see their leaders’ commitment to moving forward, fostering a culture of dependability and perseverance.
Provide a Framework for Flexibility: BAMs offer a flexible framework that adapts to varying levels of crisis. On particularly difficult days, knowing the Example BAMs can help leaders quickly adjust their plans without feeling overwhelmed. This flexibility ensures that leaders can pivot effectively while still maintaining a semblance of structure and order.
Create a Safety Net for Innovation: By ensuring that the essentials are always covered, BAMs create a safety net that allows leaders to take calculated risks and innovate without the fear of losing ground entirely. This foundation provides the stability needed to explore new ideas and approaches, fostering a culture of continuous improvement and creativity.
How to Implement the BAMs Approach (A Step-By-Step Guide)
Here’s how leaders can effectively apply BAMs.
Step 1: Identify Core Objectives
Determine the most critical personal goals that contribute to overall well-being and long-term success. I recommend that you consider core objectives for both work and home.
Step 2: Define Minimum Actions
Clearly outline the bare minimum actions required to keep these objectives moving forward.
Best practices for minimum actions are that they are short in duration and that the resources needed to complete the action are readily available.
Step 3: Communicate Clearly
For your personal BAMs, make sure you keep a list readily available to remind yourself to complete your actions. For organizational BAMs, ensure that the entire team understands the BAMs and their importance and when you are in “BAM-Mode”. In other words, the times when you have decided that just getting the minimum done is good enough.
Step 4: Celebrate Wins
Recognize and celebrate the completion of BAMs to reinforce positive behavior. This is critically important. Unless you truly internalize the value of completing BAMs, you won’t embrace this technique. You will still feel like you’ve fallen short of your objectives.
Step 5: Review and Adjust
Regularly assess the effectiveness of BAMs and make adjustments as needed to reflect changing priorities and challenges.
Examples Of BAMs In Practice
Below are a few examples of BAMs for personal and professional settings.
Personal BAMs
When considering personal BAMs, the Wheel of Life can be useful. The Wheel of Life encompasses various dimensions that contribute to overall well-being and balance. Here are example BAMs for each aspect
1. Personal Growth
Core Objective: Continue learning and developing new skills.
Example BAMs:
– Read for 10 minutes daily from a book or article related to personal development.
– Complete one lesson from an online course each day.
– Journal for 5 minutes about personal insights or reflections.
2. Health
Core Objective: Maintain physical and mental well-being.
Example BAMs:
– Exercise for 10 minutes daily, such as walking, stretching, or doing a short workout.
– Drink 8 glasses of water every day.
– Spend 5 minutes practicing mindfulness or meditation.
3. Friends
Core Objective: Maintain and nurture friendships.
Example BAMs:
– Send a quick message or check in with a friend daily.
– Schedule a weekly call or virtual meet-up with a friend.
– Plan a monthly get-together or outing with friends.
4. Love
Core Objective: Foster a loving relationship with your partner.
Example BAMs:
– Spend 10 minutes talking with your partner about their day.
– Express gratitude or appreciation to your partner daily.
– Plan a weekly date night or special time together.
5. Recreation
Core Objective: Engage in activities that bring joy and relaxation.
Example BAMs:
– Spend 10 minutes on a hobby or activity you enjoy daily.
– Take a 15-minute break to do something fun or relaxing, like listening to music or watching a short video.
– Plan a monthly outing or adventure, such as hiking, visiting a museum, or exploring a new place.
6. Spirituality
Core Objective: Connect with your spiritual beliefs and practices.
Example BAMs:
– Spend 5 minutes in prayer or spiritual reflection daily.
– Read a daily inspirational quote or passage from a spiritual text.
– Attend a weekly service or participate in a spiritual community activity.
7. Career
Core Objective: Achieve continuous progress in professional development.
Example BAMs:
– Set a daily work goal and ensure its completion.
– Spend 10 minutes networking or connecting with colleagues.
– Learn something new related to your field each day, such as reading an article or watching a tutorial.
8. Finances
Core Objective: Manage and improve financial health.
Example BAMs:
– Review daily expenses and update your budget.
– Save a small amount each day, even if it’s just a few dollars.
– Spend 10 minutes learning about personal finance, such as reading articles or listening to podcasts.
Implementing BAM standards across each aspect of the Wheel of Life ensures continuous progress and balance, even on the busiest days. By setting and adhering to these minimum actions, individuals can maintain momentum and foster well-being in all areas of their lives. This holistic approach supports overall fulfillment and resilience, helping to navigate both personal and professional challenges effectively.
Professional BAMs.
Below are a few examples of how BAMs can be applied to common situations for technical leaders.
1. Manufacturing Environment
Core Objective: Ensure continuous production and meet daily output targets.
Example BAMs:
– Minimum Production Output: Set a bare minimum number of units to be produced each day, regardless of disruptions.
– Essential Maintenance: Prioritize crucial equipment maintenance tasks that prevent major breakdowns.
– Quality Checks: Conduct essential quality control checks to maintain product standards.
– Daily Stand-Up Meetings: Hold brief, focused daily meetings to address immediate issues and align the team.
Example Implementation:
If a key machine breaks down unexpectedly, the engineering leader focuses on producing the minimum viable number of units using alternative machines, ensures immediate maintenance on the broken machine, and performs critical quality checks to maintain standards. A quick daily stand-up meeting helps reassign tasks and communicate priorities.
2. Product Development Environment
Core Objective: Maintain progress on product development milestones and timelines.
Example BAMs:
– Daily Development Progress: Ensure a minimum amount of code or design work is completed each day.
– Critical Issue Resolution: Address and resolve the most critical bugs or design flaws daily.
– Stakeholder Communication: Send daily updates to stakeholders to keep them informed of progress and challenges.
– Team Collaboration: Ensure key team members touch base at least once a day to synchronize efforts.
Example Implementation:
When a major design review meeting is suddenly canceled, the leader ensures the team completes at least a minimum amount of coding or design work for the day. Critical bugs are prioritized and fixed. Despite the chaos, a brief update is sent to stakeholders, and key team members have a quick sync-up to align on next steps.
3. R&D Environment
Core Objective: Advance research projects and meet key experimental milestones.
Example BAMs:
– Experiment Continuity: Conduct at least one crucial experiment or data collection session daily.
– Documentation: Ensure essential documentation and data logging are maintained consistently.
– Resource Allocation: Allocate and confirm the availability of key resources (e.g., lab equipment, materials) daily.
– Team Check-Ins: Hold short daily check-ins to review progress and address any blockers.
Example Implementation:
If an unexpected supply chain issue delays critical materials, the R&D leader ensures that at least one alternative experiment or data collection session is conducted. All experimental data is meticulously documented. The leader confirms the availability of alternative resources and holds a quick team check-in to re-prioritize tasks.
4. Cross-Functional Project Environment
Core Objective: Coordinate efforts across different departments to meet project goals.
Example BAMs:
– Key Deliverables: Ensure at least one key deliverable from each department is completed each day.
– Inter-Departmental Communication: Facilitate essential communication between departments to address interdependencies.
– Progress Tracking: Update the project management system with the day’s progress.
– Risk Management: Identify and mitigate at least one major risk or issue impacting the project.
Example Implementation:
When a sudden regulatory change impacts project timelines, the leader focuses on securing one critical deliverable from each department. Essential inter-departmental communications are facilitated to address dependencies. The project management system is updated with current progress, and immediate risk mitigation steps are initiated.
5. Innovation and New Product Development Environment
Core Objective: Drive innovation and bring new products from concept to market.
Example BAMs:
– Idea Generation: Ensure at least one new idea or improvement suggestion is documented daily.
– Prototyping: Work on at least one aspect of the current prototype, even if small.
– Market Research: Conduct a minimum amount of market research or customer feedback gathering.
– Team Brainstorming: Hold a brief daily brainstorming session to keep the innovation momentum.
Example Implementation:
When unexpected team absences occur, the leader ensures at least one new idea is documented. Prototyping continues on a smaller scale. Market research or customer feedback is still gathered, and a brief brainstorming session keeps the team engaged and focused on innovation.
TL;DR
Last week, I woke up to the smell of something burning and discovered my dogs had been sprayed by a skunk. The day was filled with cleaning, airing out the house, running errands, and managing virtual meetings. Despite these disruptions, I still went to the gym, followed my diet, and made progress on key work tasks by adhering to Bare Acceptable Minimums (BAMs). BAMs are a strategy to ensure that even on the worst days, essential tasks are completed. They help maintain consistency, reduce decision fatigue, boost morale, improve time management, enhance team trust, provide flexibility, and create a safety net for innovation. By setting and communicating clear BAMs, leaders can keep moving forward despite unexpected challenges. BAMs are a powerful tool that transforms moments of potential setback into opportunities for sustained, steady growth.
Notes
* To be fair, Seth has NEVER burned his food. He does a great job of cooking a late-night snack for himself.
**If you are wondering how Seth didn’t smell the skunk, don’t worry. He is a perfectly healthy kid. He was just so intently playing video games with his friends that it snuck up on him and then fatigued his olfactory system. As soon as he left the house for a few minutes, he immediately noticed the scent.