"Strong leaders who are effective coaches know the value of R & R (reflection and renewal). They periodically pull themselves and their teams back from daily work in operations to work on themselves. They are constantly asking questions like, 'What should we keep doing, stop doing, and start doing to be more effective?'"

- from Jim Clemmer's article, "Leaders Focus on Reflection and Renewal"

"Make the final step of every major improvement or change project a half to one-day assessment of what went well, what would be done differently if the project were starting over, and the major lessons learned. This should be documented, video or audio taped, written up, presented in meetings, or in some way shared with the rest of the organization."

- from Jim Clemmer's article, "Review, Assess, Celebrate, and Refocus: Personal Pathways and Pitfalls"

"Use annual improvement audits or assessments from external improvement experts, self-assessments using a well established improvement framework (quality award criteria can quite useful, but most are narrower in scope than we've covered in this book), benchmarking, and other such methods of reviewing your improvement progress."

- from Jim Clemmer's article, "Review, Assess, Celebrate, and Refocus: Personal Pathways and Pitfalls"

"Prepare an Annual Improvement Report. This is a collection of all the positive changes and improvements of the past year throughout your entire organization. It doesn't have to be glossy or slickly produced. It could be just a simple collection of summaries, stories, improvement charts, lessons learned, accomplishments, and the like."

- from Jim Clemmer's article, "Review, Assess, Celebrate, and Refocus: Personal Pathways and Pitfalls"

"Ultimately it's our improvement action that determines our performance results. The effectiveness of that action hinges upon our follow through and "stick-to-it-iveness."

- from Jim Clemmer's article, "Stepping Back to Step Ahead Through Reviewing and Assessing"

"The process of reflection and planning is a daily, weekly, monthly and quarterly habit that should be deeply ingrained. But at least once a year you, your life partner, and your team need to thoroughly review your progress and look at the big picture."

- from Jim Clemmer's article, "The Pause that Refreshes"

"Savoring and celebrating is highly energizing. Paradoxically, it's when things are darkest and our goals seem farthest from reach that a focus on what's gone right and what we have to be thankful for can be the most invigorating."

- from Jim Clemmer's article, "The Pause that Refreshes"

"When we don't slow down to savor successes along the way, each accomplishment becomes less fulfilling. When I have paused to assess and then celebrate, life becomes richer and much more satisfying."

- from Jim Clemmer's article, "The Pause that Refreshes"

"The relentless drive for ever higher performance and reaching our next goal often leaves us too numb and exhausted to enjoy what we have achieved. Rather than pausing to appreciate what we have accomplished, we have become narrowly focused on what we haven't yet attained."