TO START AND FINISH STRONG IS THE GOAL.

Any method that ignores vital steps along the way to the finish line is incomplete.

When Noah Webster determined to develop an American dictionary, he broke down his project into steps. He began by compiling a list of words to define. Then he focused on reading to identify how words were being use before finalizing their definitions.

When Noah Webster was 43, he began writing the first American dictionary. It took him more than 27 years to complete his work.

Sometime after Webster had begun forming definitions, this lexicographer discovered the need for a step he had overlooked in his initial plan.

Webster realized that in order to properly communicate the meaning of current words, he needed to understand the way each word had evolved through history.

Setting aside his initial production schedule, Webster devoted several years to studying the development of the English vocabulary. He traced each English word on his list back to its French Latin, German, of other linguistic origins.

This study of etymologies was itself so consuming that Webster compiled his research into a sizable volume entitled A Synopsis of Words in Twenty Languages. Finally, with the word etymologies carefully researched, Webster was ready to return to composing definitions.

Webster's American Dictionary of the English Language was published in 1828.

When your plan is interrupted by an unexpected obstacle or you discover something is missing, thoroughness is expending the necessary effort to truly resolve the difficulty.

Devising a "quick fix" or ignoring the step now seen to be important will lead to an incomplete finish. Thoroughness is getting all the facts and giving care to see that a job is done well. It is finishing what you set out to do - and finishing it properly.

Rather than skirting difficulties, take the time that is necessary to properly resolve them. Ensure that both your start and finish are strong.

THOROUGHNESS ON THE JOB

Assume you are going to build a bridge. Planning is finding the best place to build the bridge and having everything on hand to do the job right. Testing is being sure every structural support is sound before building another on top of it.

Even with the best planning and testing, unforeseen needs may arise. If so, get all the facts and give full attention to them. Rather than brushing them off, denying their existence, hoping they will resolve themselves, or patching them hastily - deal with them directly! It's okay to adjust your plan, if needed, in order to complete the project.

THOROUGHNESS WITH BALANCE

There is no end to details. Something can always be improved, readjusted, or verified.

Thoroughness is getting all the facts and taking a job to completion. Excessive attention details can result in an incomplete project that is always in need of something more. This is a misuse of thoroughness.

Thoroughness must be exercised with the complementary quality of diligence. Diligence is "investing my time and energy to complete each task assigned to me."

New situations may arise. Unforeseen difficulties may require extra effort. Inadequate preparation may necessitate setting the project aside for a while in order to complete your research. These are realities all too familiar, yet it is vital to learn to bridle the project and keep it under control.

Balance thoroughness with diligence in order to complete the task.

THOROUGHNESS VS. INCOMPLETENESS

Knowing what factors will diminish the effectiveness of my work or words if neglected

About 1000 A.D., the adjective thuruh meant "from side to side; from end to end." In his extensive etymological research for his American dictionary, Noah Webster discovered that the modern words door and thorough actually came from the same linguistic root, a root referring to a passage or a hole.

In essence, the idea of thoroughness is that of totality. Totality can be measured in terms of total inclusion (everything is covered "from end to end"), or it can be measured in terms of total conclusion (passage all the way from start to finish).

thor·ough·ness n 1: the quality of completeness 2: not overlooking important details 3: exhaustive in fulfilling a task

Thoroughness is awareness of all the details involved in a project, attention to each one of those details according to its importance, and completion of the project.

AWARENESS

Success is in the details. Thoroughness is being aware of what details are important in each situation, an awareness that will often make the difference between failure and success.

Such understanding does not come automatically. It is learned through careful alertness to how details have affected past endeavors. It can also be learned through mentoring - gleaning from the life experiences of others.

ATTENTION

Thoroughness is also giving adequate attention to those details. After evaluating which factor are critical, thoroughness begins with careful planning to determine a strategy that gives every important detail the attention it requires.

Once the framework is established, thoroughness involves getting all the facts, working through them , and scrutinizing the results before moving forward in the process. Doing so is good preparation for dealing with unforeseen factors that may arise - without neglecting others.

COMPLETION

Ultimately, thoroughness is getting the job done. But a thorough job involves more than just competing the task assigned - whether producing a part or closing a sale. Completion also includes cleaning up and following up on the finished task.

Thoroughness is the awareness that success is in the details, that giving proper attention to those details will yield the best results, and that a job is complete only after it is cleaned up and followed up.

THOROUGHNESS AT HOME
Play "Fill in the Blank" with your children. On a piece of paper or marker board, write a word or phrase with missing letters or words.

THINK THOROUGHNESS 1. What did Noah Webster do to "get all the facts" for his research? 2. Discuss delays or interruptions that you face in your job. How do you determine what facts are needed in order to finish the job right? 3. Discuss the need to balance the diligence and thoroughness necessary to "get all the facts" with the need to complete a project in a timely manner. “He that despiseth small things will perish by little and little.” - Ralph Waldo Emerson

Have the children take turns guessing what belongs in the blanks. The winner can be the next person to come up with the "Fill in the Blank" word or phrase.

Discuss the importance of filling in the blanks in order to complete a puzzle, just like getting all the facts in order to complete a task.

Character definitions and information used by permission. Copyright Character Training Institute. www.characterfirst.com
 

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