Ask “Who?” before you pursue the wrong goals
Have you ever experienced exhaustion or disappointment because you’ve put so much effort into something with little return? Yes, growth requires you to stretch, but what if the target you’re pursuing is not clear enough before you start using up your resources?
I consistently hear business leaders and professionals expressing the intense desire to hit the ground running as a fresh budget and new year begin. They crave action and quick results to capitalize on new found energy. As I write this, I can hear the words of one of my colleagues who used to preach, “We don’t want to cut off our nose to spite our face.” That’s unfortunately what many of us do when we immediately jump into action and goal setting before we’ve considered the most important question first: Who am I (or we in terms of a team or organization) becoming?
All the actions we could ever take ultimately come to an end in the form of a result. Tangible results are momentary and expendable. You have them one minute, but once you spend them, they are gone. The results that matter most and which create long-term momentum as well as cumulative returns on our investments are the changes those actions have made within us - within you, within me, and within the cultures of our teams and organizations. The impact of our actions influence how we approach the future, and that lasting impact is something we carry with us into new situations of the future.
In order to extract the lasting value of our actions, we must first look within and get clear about:
Our values
Our strengths
Our vulnerabilities
Our motivators
Our stress points
Internal and interpersonal conflict
Blind spots
Behaviors that get in our way
These same areas also apply to our organizations and teams.
When we incorporate these areas and address who we are at the front end of the goal-setting process, we can:
Make sound and more profitable decisions
Set healthy boundaries
Be more effective collaborators and partners with our internal and external customers
Recharge our batteries and build endurance as well as momentum toward tangible results
Of course the benefits are infinite… so what are some practical ways to explore the question of “Who?” Every team and every person’s process may look different; however, you have a toolkit right at your fingertips with our partnership. With 8 professional certifications, a Masters Degree, 15+ Years in Leadership, and 20+ years in Human Resources, I’ve worked with an array of tools to ensure my clients’ success, including:
Would you like FREE worksheets and videos to help you address the question of “Who?” as well as create powerful goals that work for you? Register here.
