The second step of FIVE STEPS TO REACH YOUR GOALS
By Paul J. Meyer
SECOND STEP — DEVELOP A PLAN FOR ACHIEVING YOUR GOAL AND A DEADLINE FOR ITS ATTAINMENT
PLAN YOUR PROGRESS CAREFULLY: HOUR BY HOUR, DAY- BY- DAY, MONTH BY MONTH.
ORGANIZED ACTIVITY AND MAINTAINED ENTHUSIASM ARE THE WELL SPRING OF YOUR POWER.
Leaders are challenged every day. Some of the challenges come from internal factors within their organization. Other challenges come from external sources and affect the work environment. It IS difficult to manage your own internal state. When pressure mounts, consciously take a deep breath and create the opportunity to CHOOSE rather than REACT.
The choice is yours.
”LIFE IS REALLY SIMPLE, BUT WE INSIST ON
MAKING IT COMPLICATED.”
— Confucius
Organizations often do not take full advantage of their employees’ talent, knowledge, and skills. By labeling people as having a certain kind of knowledge or value, managers often limit their employees from demonstrating what else they might be able to contribute – which might be a significant asset to the organization’s innovation.
Part of the limitation may be due to organizations limiting the scope of what they need and want to what is listed within the job description. Today’s competitive business environment requires organizations to hire the best and to fully utilize what they have to offer.
The way to discover an employee’s untapped knowledge or value is to ask open-ended questions, such as: what other ways do you see you could use your strengths to benefit the organization? Then, listen carefully to their responses for additional ways they could be an asset to the organization.
“Whatever you
vividly imagine,
ardently desire,
sincerely believe,
and enthusiastically
act upon…
must inevitably come to pass!”
– Paul J. Meyer
Think it, desire it, believe it and just go do it!
Both at work and at home, don’t expect to ask someone to do something and then not check in. Give an assignment and set up check-in points to assess how the project is progressing. You need to provide some guidance for adjustments that need to be made along the way to be certain it is on-track and progressing the way you want. If you don’t check in at all, people can assume the project is not that important.
John Hopkins University, consistently rated as one of the top hospitals in the country, had a problem. In its Intensive Care Unit, there was a real problem with infections. Someone came up with the idea of using the age-old idea of following a Check List. Staff made up a list of the procedures they knew stopped the spread of inspection and had everyone who entered a patient’s room take a printout of that list and check off each step as they went. The slips were inspected each day. Like magic, the infection problem disappeared.
What check-off list can you make up to help you and your associates (or family) create greater results?
A few weeks ago, our Point to Ponder was: “The Problem is Never the Problem, How You Handle the Problem is usually the Problem.”
The point mentioned was exemplified by the bad call made by umpire Jim Joyce last week, robbing Armando Galarraga of a perfect game. The behavior exhibited by both Galarraga and Joyce showed how to handle a problem.
Keep this fact in mind: There have been only 20 perfect games thrown in the history of baseball.
Galarraga’s behavior: After the bad call, while the manager and coaches from Detroit were haranguing Joyce, Galarraga just walked away from the fracas and got ready to pitch to the last batter. He got the last batter out and headed to the locker room. A day’s work was done. That is what great leaders do.
Joyce’s behavior: When the last batter was out, Joyce headed to the umpire’s locker room. After viewing the tape of the play, he immediately realized he had made a mistake and ran right to the Detroit locker room. He apologized to Galarraga in front of the whole team. No excuses. It was obvious to everyone there that Joyce was distraught. He realized that after so many years of being considered one of the best umpires in the majors, his most important call was wrong. He took total responsibility. That is what great leaders do.
The next day: Before the start of the game, the Detroit manager sent out Galarraga with the lineup card (usually done by the manger) to give to the home plate umpire, Jim Joyce. Galaraga gave Joyce the card, shoke his hand and placed a hand on his shoulder. Joyce burst into tears. The Detroit fans had given Joyce a standing ovation when he first came onto the field, now they went wild! The fans are just like everyone else, they just want to be treated fairly. They truly knew Joyce was sorry. That is the attitude great leaders produce.
Many of our Political, Business and Religious Leaders do just the opposite. They attack, blame and criticize anyone and everyone they can when a problems arises. They may have positions of leadership, but they are not great leaders. Sports men and women can teach us many great life lessons, including lessons in leadership for leaders in other fields. Be a leader today.
