Proceed Until Apprehended

The 2023 edition of The Florence Prescription is now available on Amazon. Among other updates, it includes a new chapter on why culture needs to complement psychological safety with emotional safety, plus a special dedication to Mark and Bonnie Barnes, cofounders of The DAISY Foundation. For quantity orders visit TheFlorenceChallenge.com. 

Proceed Until Apprehended!

Proceed Until Apprehended are the most important 3 words in The Florence Prescription: From Accountability to Ownership. They capture the essential philosophy of a Culture of Ownership, but can also be life-changing at a personal level (as they have been for me and for many others). Here’s what Proceed Until Apprehended means:

If something needs to be done, do it.

Call in a stained ceiling tile (the water leak that caused that stain could also create a safety hazard).

Answer a call bell, even if it’s not your patient.

Confront a bully or stand up to support someone being bullied.

Call a timeout.

Submit your application to graduate school.

Start working on the book, stand at the easel and paint, work on the plan for your new business venture, or whatever else you’ve been putting off.

Volunteer for something.

If you need help, ask for it.

 As for the pay raise, promotion, or transfer.

Ask for an introduction to someone you want to meet.

Find a freelancer to design the cover of your unwritten book.

Ask for the sale, ask for the donation, ask for advice.

If you need a hug, ask for a hug (literal or metaphorical).

If apprehended, plea bargain for a better solution.

The answer will always be yes if you ask the right question of the right person at the right time (Canfield and Hansen: The Aladdin Factor)

If you are apprehended, which of those three conditions do you need to change?

If the organization you want to work for ignores your online application, knock on the door.

If your law school application is rejected, show up at first-day registration with a suitcase (more on this later).

If your sales pitch gets a no, ask what it would take to change the answer to yes.

Remember that the reason you Proceeded in the first place was that something important needed to be done – don’t let being apprehended stop you from trying something else.

Culture of Ownership Leadership Academy

The next Culture of Ownership Leadership Academy (COLAcademy) will be held in Cedar Rapids, Iowa this April 5-7. We invite 12 different organizations to each send a team of two people for this intimate, intensive, and interactive experience. For details download the flyer.