Yesterday - Horowitz' CIGIE had their annual awards ceremony and RR gave the key note speech.

MILANIA'S 'BE BEST'?

This part of the speech reminded me of Milania's 'Be Best'

"In the Inspector General community, your mission is to combat waste, fraud, and abuse in agency programs and operations.

A decade ago, a sports psychologist named Graham Jones published an article called “How the Best of the Best Get Better and Better.” It considers how human beings manage to keep improving and setting new records. The secret, it seems, is to ignore limits. Never assume that you are restricted by what has been accomplished before.

As a young prosecutor, I learned how to find fraud. Just look for opportunities, situations where there is a nexus of discretion and profit. When there is such an opportunity, eventually a greedy and unprincipled person will take advantage of it.

But I encourage you to keep the Jones article in mind. Never accept the proposition that fraud and corruption are unavoidable. Root them out when you find them, and then support constructive changes to eliminate future opportunities. The true measure of success in law enforcement is not how many crimes we prosecute. It is how many crimes we prevent.

Operating government agencies with integrity builds public confidence in the rule of law, which is critical to democracy."

link to RR speech:

https://www.justice.gov/opa/speech/deputy-attorney-general-rod-rosenstein-delivers-keynote-remarks-federal-inspector-general

ARTICLE: 'HOW THE BEST OF THE BEST GET BETTER AND BETTER

RR was giving us clues as to what our 470+ investigators are doing to win this silent war?

From the article…

LOVE THE PRESSURE

Star players focus on what they can control and forget the rest. They’re masters of compartmentalization.

FIXATE ON THE LONG TERM

The trick here is to meticulously plan short-term goals so that performance will peak at major, rather than minor, events.

USE THE COMPETITION

Smart companies consciously create situations in which their elite performers push one another to levels they would never reach if they were working with less-accomplished colleagues.

REINVENT YOURSELF

Top performers have a particularly strong need for instant, in the moment feedback. Actively seek constructive criticism/advice on how to develop and progress.

CELEBRATE THE VICTORIES

Celebration is more than an emotional release. Done effectively, it involves a deep level of analysis and enhanced awareness. The very best performers do not move on before they have scrutinized and understood thoroughly the factors underpinning their success.

The top performers know how to party. They also know that celebrations without victory are meaningless.

THE WILL TO WIN

Even the most youthful star has typically put in countless years of preparation and has endured repeated failures. But what drives all these elite performers is a fierce desire to compete—and win. Even so, most of those participating in the Olympics this summer will walk away from the games without grabbing a single medal. Those with real mettle will get back into training again. That’s what truly separates elite performers from ordinary high achievers.

It takes supreme, almost unimaginable grit and courage to get back into the ring and fight to the bitter end.

https://hbr.org/2008/06/how-the-best-of-the-best-get-better-and-better