Incremental Progress Monitoring

On why submitting something is better than nothing! Every so often, a student shows up in my office, and I ask "What do you have for me?" They look embarrassed or defiant, and admit they have nothing. This is a mistake. Like most advisors, I know that I am not going to receive perfect work in the early stages of a project, but I do want to know that you are progressing. You need to send me something, even if it is a simple summary of what you've been working on. Why? Because submitting "something" ... (1) Demonstrates effort and commitment: Advisors often value effort and steady improvement over immediate perfection. Example: Turning in a draft full of red ink corrections shows you’re actively learning rather than hiding behind fear of critique. (3) Facilitates feedback and guidance: Early drafts give your advisor an opportunity to shape your thinking before you've become too attached to your ideas. Example: Submitting a rough outline invites helpful advice, versus submitting a "perfect" paper too late to receive meaningful feedback. (4) Builds momentum and confidence. Consistent progress creates a sense of achievement, keeping your morale and motivation high. Example: Receiving praise like, "This is better than last time," feels motivating, whereas waiting until it's "perfect" can lead to burnout. (5) Allows for collaboration: Advisors prefer seeing work-in-progress, bc they ant to collaborate, identify and fix issues, before too much time is wasted. Example: Your advisor is more willing to brainstorm solutions if you show where you're struggling early on. (6) Prevents procrastination and stress: Striving for perfection often delays submission and increases anxiety on the part of the student, esp. that anxiety about an advisor expressing disappointment. Example: Showing incremental progress avoids the panic of last-minute perfectionism at 3 AM. As advisors, we know that you will never submit a perfect first draft - in fact, if you did, maybe you should be the advisor - but what we hope to see is steady progress, that is real, measurable, and leads to a stronger paper - and a healthier student-advisor relationship! Which makes for a happier academic life! #academicjourney #academiclife #submitsubmitsubmit

🍌 The Most Overlooked Progress Monitoring Tool — The Banana S-Curve Most projects compare Actual vs. Planned using a single S-Curve… but that only shows part of the picture. The Banana S-Curve uses two curves: Early Start Curve (Upper Limit) – fastest possible progress Late Start Curve (Lower Limit) – slowest allowable progress The gap between them = available float / flexibility. Now simply check where your Actual Progress Line falls: ✅ Closer to Early Curve → Low Risk ⚠️ Closer to Late Curve → High Risk (Float consumed!) Simple. Visual. Honest. More planners should be using this — not just for reporting, but for real risk awareness. #Planning #ProjectControls #SCurve #ScheduleRisk #ConstructionManagement

𝟵𝟱% 𝗼𝗳 𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗴𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗺𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘀 𝗱𝗼𝘄𝗻 𝘁𝗼 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗻𝗰𝘆, 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘀𝗶𝘁𝘆. Surgical training isn’t about occasional bursts of brilliance or perfect marathon practice sessions. It’s about showing up consistently, day after day, and committing to incremental progress. Because what truly matters is how regularly you refine your skills, not how intensely you push yourself for a short time. 👉 Here’s How the “𝟯𝗖 𝗥𝘂𝗹𝗲” Can Elevate Your Training: 1/ 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗶𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗗𝗮𝗶𝗹𝘆 𝗣𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗲 ↳ Dedicate 15–30 minutes each day to refine one specific skill, like suturing or reviewing operative steps ↳ Progress compounds when you focus on small, manageable goals 2/ 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗹𝘆 𝗟𝗼𝗴 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗖𝗮𝘀𝗲𝘀 ↳ Track every procedure—what went well, what didn’t, and lessons learned ↳ A simple tool like a digital case log (Notion templates are great!) helps you reflect and grow 3/ 𝗖𝗲𝗹𝗲𝗯𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗜𝗻𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗹 𝗪𝗶𝗻𝘀 ↳ Don’t wait for big milestones to acknowledge your progress ↳ Recognize how each small improvement sharpens your skills over time When you apply the 3C Rule, you gain: → 𝗦𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗱𝘆 𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗿𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 that builds confidence and competence in the OR → 𝗥𝗲𝗱𝘂𝗰𝗲𝗱 𝗯𝘂𝗿𝗻𝗼𝘂𝘁 by prioritizing sustainable habits over unsustainable intensity → 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘀𝗳𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 of seeing how small actions lead to mastery Start showing up for yourself consistently, even on the busiest days. Because it’s not about how much you can do in one day; it’s about what you commit to doing every day. P.S. I’ve created a 𝗠𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗖𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗿 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗴𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗦𝘆𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗺 designed to help you stay organized, track your goals, and manage your learning journey effectively. Click here to see how it can support your career growth! 👉 https://lnkd.in/ePtP_jPm