You can fool around with the ingredients when baking a cake and the
world won't fall apart if it's less than perfect. If you are building a
rocket, however, you will need to pay special attention to the ingredients
and the process—or the world may very well fall apart!
Do you approach your business, profession or job as if you are baking a
cake or building a rocket? It's amazing how many of us show up, work hard,
and wonder why we are not getting the results we want. We spin our wheels
faster and generate more action thinking that doing these things will
somehow give us better results. Results are not always about action.
Action for action's sake will only produce more action. Is that the
purpose of the activity? I doubt it. Most of the time, we really want to
achieve results when we talk about taking action. To achieve
results, we must have a goal. How else will we know we achieved the
results we want?
I have a friend who is very successful in his career as well as other
community activities. One of his favorite activities is Orienteering and
I'm certain that he brings many of his Orienteering skills to his business
and various projects. He sets goals, makes detailed plans in a methodical
manner, advances through the steps he has designed and eventually ends up
exactly where he intended to be from the beginning. What is his secret? I
think it's the following formula.
Achievable Goals + Right Actions = Meaningful Results
The process for implementing this formula is as follows:
1. Set goals that are . . .
specific,
achievable and
measurable.
"Fuzzy" goals are hard to achieve. Make them specific. Describe
every detail of your goal. Remember, your Goal will turn into your
Meaningful Results so paint a clear picture of it in the beginning.
Now, for the "reality check." Is your goal achievable?
Achievable is not the same as difficult. Difficult can be achievable.
Impossible is not achievable.
It's important to be able to measure your progress toward your
goal. Increasing profits 100% in six months is measurable. Completing the
merger by December 1, 2006 is measurable. Your Goal can be measured
because you specifically identified it in the beginning.
2. Create an Action Plan with timelines to achieve your goals.
Be thorough with this and include every step you will need to take to
reach your goal and set a deadline for completing each step. What happens
if you don't meet some of your deadlines? Be assured you won't meet all of
your deadlines because life has a way of not always accommodating our
plans. When this happens, take a look at that step. Do you need more time?
Then change the deadline. Is this step absolutely necessary? If not,
discard it. If it is necessary, design new ways to complete it. Then, move
on! Look carefully at every action you take. Don't get caught up in taking
action for action's sake. Make sure each action is leading you toward
accomplishing your Goal.
3. When you accomplish your Goal, take time to celebrate your
achievement and enjoy the success of the moment. Have a de-briefing
session and examine the process to see what you could have done
differently, what you should have done, etc. Then, start the process all
over with a new goal.
This sounds very simplistic. It is! And, that's just why we get tripped
up. We forget that we are really building a rocket and we tamper with the
ingredients, or take shortcuts, as if we are baking a cake. Remember and
use this formula for success, and you will accomplish more and enjoy more
achievements in your life. Don't mess with the formula! When
working in your profession and life, treat each project and process as if
you are building a rocket. When it comes to your life and career, it IS
rocket science!
Do you view your competition as someone, or something, to be avoided,
feared and distrusted? It's easy to do this when we are concerned about
our share of the pie. However, if we approach our competition with our
eyes, ears and mind open, we can often create positive results for
everyone involved.
First, learn everything you can about your competition. Identify
things, or processes, they do that you don't do and also that you do
that they don't do. Explore being advocates for each other in these
areas. In other words, make your perceived "enemy" your friend. Is this
always possible? No, but it's sure worth the effort when it is possible!
Promote your strengths and uniqueness. Everyone and every company has
specific strengths and things that are unique only to them. Publicize
these to expand your reputation in these areas.
Focus on you and your business and being successful. If your time,
energy and resources are spent on being excellent, you won't have time
to worry about your competition. Let them worry about YOU!
TRAINING