Let’s Get Personal
Recently, I was talking with a friend of mine who owns his own business. For the most part, he’s happy with the way things are going. His people have been with him for a long time and the processes they’ve created run smoothly. The company’s revenue and profitability are good and he has a sizable group of loyal clients. The one thing, however, that he really wants to change are the company’s goal setting practices. That, he feels, has been a weak muscle and one he’d like to start building.
His instinct to incorporate more clear and focused goal setting practices into the company is a good one.
Goal setting and action planning are key to a company moving in an intentional direction. Proactive goal setting, though, requires an all important ‘pre’ activity. That ‘pre’ activity is the time and attention required to get clear on where you are now and where you want to go. This is not a step you want to skim over. In most cases, this step unleashes the energetic fuel that will be needed to complete or exceed the goal. Without becoming clear on the want and desire, the effort can become dry and mechanical…not so compelling.
Business theory and logic may try to gloss over it, but we human beings spend a lot of time being.
Being is alive, it’s emotional and it’s creative. All of which, prove advantageous for setting goals and making them happen. Rationale and reason are invited to the game, but alone they lack the compelling ‘why’ that sustains the action and keeps things moving forward.
That’s why it’s critical that people set their own goals and participate in determining their own course of action to realize those goals.
Goals and action plans laid on people lack ownership and a personal why. They may work as an ultimatum, but rarely as a powerful impetus for action. Leaders worth their salt, want their people to be personally involved in the forward movement of the company. Without it, it’s back to the mechanical. Emotion and desire forge commitment. They are the glue that connects people to the mission and vision. As importantly, they are the fuel that propels action and companies forward.
Plug into your desire.
It’s the rocket booster of action.