How to Achieve any Goal
I use a six step approach for looking at change from both a personal and an organisational perspective. Whether you are trying to get fit, lose weight or improve your company’s sales effectiveness and create great ROI for your customers, there are six elements of the change process that must be addressed.
It is unlikely that you will be successful without focusing on these areas and being determined to ‘play to win’.
Issue 1: Clear and Specific Well Formed Outcome
If you are not clear on what you want to achieve it is unlikely that you will reach your goal. Be precise and focus on specific things or behaviours. In an organisational setting, you have to focus on the sales strategy that will lead to more retaining existing customers as well as winning new customers.
You have to have a firm idea of the people you want to attract to purchase your company’s services or products. If focusing on quality improvement in customer service you must know the current state of play, including metrics on customer migration. Know what for targets you are aiming.
If we want to run faster – how much faster? Is seven minute mile pace the right pace to complete a fun run? You have to decide. The same with writing a book. What’s the book about – how long is it? What’s the story? Who are the characters? What's the plot and how does it evolve?
Specificity & Precision in Goal Setting
The more specificity the better. You have to have a clear idea of where you are starting from and measure those things that are working, and not working, and then plan for a future state when things will be the way you want them. Then compare current and future states and consider the gap in between ‘current’ and ‘desired’. Decide how you can traverse that gap and take action.
People who have or express business goals in general terms achieve far less than those who focus on precision, and know what a successful outcome looks like, and can assess how near they are to achieving their objectives.
They know what works. They plan their future. It’s a bit like driving a car, you have a big windscreen to look out through and survey the future that you are driving into. You have a small rear view mirror because although you have to check periodically what’s behind you – your future and safety lie in what you are focusing on in front of you as you drive into it.
Issue 2: Focus on Role Models
Role Models are so important. Imagine your own imaginary Board of Directors to guide your decision making. As examples three personal favourites appear straight away. Peter Jones, the entrepreneur, Richard Branson, the creator of Virgin, and the Body Shop founder and philanthropist, the late Anita Roddick .
It does not matter if you have never met them. Maybe they are people you look up to and admire. They are your heroes. Each of us has different heroes who are role models for you. Now, with these role models in your consciousness all you would have to ask of each “how would they interpret what is going on in my life, and what would they do?” You can have a Director for each part of your life for fitness, nutrition, career, relationships. The good thing is you don't have to pay them, and they will never know all the free advice they are giving away to YOU!
Role Models for different situations
I have many role models. Here are a few of mine. My Personal role models include, Duncan Falconer friend and fitness coach, Marc Woods the paraplegic swimmer, and Bradley Wiggins, racing cyclist and winner of the Tour de France 2012.
If you have role models you have a clear idea of what behaviours to emulate and rehearse constantly to become expert - so you don't even have to think about what you need to do - it is just automatic.
Instead of wanting to be successful billionaire like Peter Jones – you have to understand how he actually did it. One way is to read his books, follow his work with the Entrepreneurs’ Academy and watch him on ‘Dragons Den’.
If I want my comeback to competitive cycle racing to be spectacular it requires me to read and model the best - that is Bradley Wiggins training regime, understand his motivational drive, and follow his progress in the Cycling Press or on Eurosport.
Becoming Good at Anything
Whether seeking to become a great business leader, a great sales person or become a sub hour 25 mile time trial cyclist requires role models. When Roger Bannister was the first to break the four minute mile in 1954, it was only a matter of weeks before others also went below four minutes.
As many as twelve runners broke the record after he set the standard and proved that it was possible. Acting as a role model, he helped to break the self limiting belief held by many athletes at the time, that it would be impossible to do.
Issue 3: Rehearse and Practise Specific Behaviour
Knowing what to do requires practise. It was Gary Player, the famous golfer, who first said “the more I practise, the luckier I get”. What he meant was, “the more I practise – the less I have to rely on luck.”
I met an ex colleague, Tom, at a presentation I was giving on ‘Sales Excellence’ for the Chartered Institute of Management in Edinburgh this year. He liked my approach and after the session and said that he was doing a big pitch to an existing client the following day. I said, “I wish you well but you probably don’t need my good wishes because I am sure you have rehearsed your pitch to perfection.” I was shocked by his reply. “No”, he said. “He’s an existing client – it will be a breeze. I have made hundreds of pitches and I have good rapport with him and the panel”.
Over Confidence and Under Competence
How wrong can you be. I phoned Tom the next week about another subject and he admitted sadly that the client had transferred allegiance to his competitor rather than give him the work. The feedback Tom received from his existing but soon to be migratedclient was that the panel who appraised the presentation thought his pitch was unfocused, overly friendly, loose and unstructured, whereas the presentation of his competitor was focused, professional, tight and specified the benefits that would accrue to the client if they purchased from his company.
Lessons Learned: Don't Use the Pitch as Your First Rehearsal
If you want to be a great leader of change you have to learn to talk to people, to learn how people think, to assess what you can do personally to improve your performance. That means focus on behaviours that will move you towards your goals and practise, practise, practise. Never use the pitch as a rehearsal.
Issue 4: Review what’s working and what is not
Success at anything leaves a trail of markers, some of which are positive and move you forward, while others hinder. You require the sensory acuity to measure and understand what is working and what is not. That means you need personal or organisational metrics that tell you whether you are moving towards or away from your goal.
When you are getting fitter physically you’ll need to focus on your weight, your BMI (fat to muscle ratio), average pulse and blood pressure as well as measuring the quality and quantity of what you put into your body and the frequency.
In an organisational context – if you are working on increasing revenue you’ll have to focus on customer retention, new product penetration and targeted sales against actual performance. If introducing organisational change to create a leadership culture, focus on how speedily behavioural change is being incorporated into the style and actions of the management team.
Issue 5: Develop Tenacity and Stamina
You have to develop the momentum to sustain your efforts personally or organisationally by talking enthusiastically and positively to ‘self’ and ‘others’. This requires a sustainable motivation and pride in the need to achieve, and this can only come from you. Creating a firm foundation is no good if you fail to have the energy and the passion to see things through, even when you don’t feel strong or perhaps setbacks are getting you down
Issue 6: Take Personal Ownership & Responsibility for the Change
Take full responsibility and ownership for what happens. Don’t blame the Economy, Politicians or others. Take full ownership and make no excuses.
Failure happens sometimes and doing more of the same will have no positive impact. After all repeating the same activities time and time again and expecting different results is a good definition of insanity. So do something else. If that fails, reappraise and do something else. Ask, “is this taking me closer to or further away from my goals?” and commit to taking personal responsibility.
By following these six issues and constantly reviewing your progress, you can achieve any goal in the world.
Contact form or Email Philip
It is unlikely that you will be successful without focusing on these areas and being determined to ‘play to win’.
Issue 1: Clear and Specific Well Formed Outcome
If you are not clear on what you want to achieve it is unlikely that you will reach your goal. Be precise and focus on specific things or behaviours. In an organisational setting, you have to focus on the sales strategy that will lead to more retaining existing customers as well as winning new customers.
You have to have a firm idea of the people you want to attract to purchase your company’s services or products. If focusing on quality improvement in customer service you must know the current state of play, including metrics on customer migration. Know what for targets you are aiming.
If we want to run faster – how much faster? Is seven minute mile pace the right pace to complete a fun run? You have to decide. The same with writing a book. What’s the book about – how long is it? What’s the story? Who are the characters? What's the plot and how does it evolve?
Specificity & Precision in Goal Setting
The more specificity the better. You have to have a clear idea of where you are starting from and measure those things that are working, and not working, and then plan for a future state when things will be the way you want them. Then compare current and future states and consider the gap in between ‘current’ and ‘desired’. Decide how you can traverse that gap and take action.
People who have or express business goals in general terms achieve far less than those who focus on precision, and know what a successful outcome looks like, and can assess how near they are to achieving their objectives.
They know what works. They plan their future. It’s a bit like driving a car, you have a big windscreen to look out through and survey the future that you are driving into. You have a small rear view mirror because although you have to check periodically what’s behind you – your future and safety lie in what you are focusing on in front of you as you drive into it.
Issue 2: Focus on Role Models
Role Models are so important. Imagine your own imaginary Board of Directors to guide your decision making. As examples three personal favourites appear straight away. Peter Jones, the entrepreneur, Richard Branson, the creator of Virgin, and the Body Shop founder and philanthropist, the late Anita Roddick .
It does not matter if you have never met them. Maybe they are people you look up to and admire. They are your heroes. Each of us has different heroes who are role models for you. Now, with these role models in your consciousness all you would have to ask of each “how would they interpret what is going on in my life, and what would they do?” You can have a Director for each part of your life for fitness, nutrition, career, relationships. The good thing is you don't have to pay them, and they will never know all the free advice they are giving away to YOU!
Role Models for different situations
I have many role models. Here are a few of mine. My Personal role models include, Duncan Falconer friend and fitness coach, Marc Woods the paraplegic swimmer, and Bradley Wiggins, racing cyclist and winner of the Tour de France 2012.
If you have role models you have a clear idea of what behaviours to emulate and rehearse constantly to become expert - so you don't even have to think about what you need to do - it is just automatic.
Instead of wanting to be successful billionaire like Peter Jones – you have to understand how he actually did it. One way is to read his books, follow his work with the Entrepreneurs’ Academy and watch him on ‘Dragons Den’.
If I want my comeback to competitive cycle racing to be spectacular it requires me to read and model the best - that is Bradley Wiggins training regime, understand his motivational drive, and follow his progress in the Cycling Press or on Eurosport.
Becoming Good at Anything
Whether seeking to become a great business leader, a great sales person or become a sub hour 25 mile time trial cyclist requires role models. When Roger Bannister was the first to break the four minute mile in 1954, it was only a matter of weeks before others also went below four minutes.
As many as twelve runners broke the record after he set the standard and proved that it was possible. Acting as a role model, he helped to break the self limiting belief held by many athletes at the time, that it would be impossible to do.
Issue 3: Rehearse and Practise Specific Behaviour
Knowing what to do requires practise. It was Gary Player, the famous golfer, who first said “the more I practise, the luckier I get”. What he meant was, “the more I practise – the less I have to rely on luck.”
I met an ex colleague, Tom, at a presentation I was giving on ‘Sales Excellence’ for the Chartered Institute of Management in Edinburgh this year. He liked my approach and after the session and said that he was doing a big pitch to an existing client the following day. I said, “I wish you well but you probably don’t need my good wishes because I am sure you have rehearsed your pitch to perfection.” I was shocked by his reply. “No”, he said. “He’s an existing client – it will be a breeze. I have made hundreds of pitches and I have good rapport with him and the panel”.
Over Confidence and Under Competence
How wrong can you be. I phoned Tom the next week about another subject and he admitted sadly that the client had transferred allegiance to his competitor rather than give him the work. The feedback Tom received from his existing but soon to be migratedclient was that the panel who appraised the presentation thought his pitch was unfocused, overly friendly, loose and unstructured, whereas the presentation of his competitor was focused, professional, tight and specified the benefits that would accrue to the client if they purchased from his company.
Lessons Learned: Don't Use the Pitch as Your First Rehearsal
If you want to be a great leader of change you have to learn to talk to people, to learn how people think, to assess what you can do personally to improve your performance. That means focus on behaviours that will move you towards your goals and practise, practise, practise. Never use the pitch as a rehearsal.
Issue 4: Review what’s working and what is not
Success at anything leaves a trail of markers, some of which are positive and move you forward, while others hinder. You require the sensory acuity to measure and understand what is working and what is not. That means you need personal or organisational metrics that tell you whether you are moving towards or away from your goal.
When you are getting fitter physically you’ll need to focus on your weight, your BMI (fat to muscle ratio), average pulse and blood pressure as well as measuring the quality and quantity of what you put into your body and the frequency.
In an organisational context – if you are working on increasing revenue you’ll have to focus on customer retention, new product penetration and targeted sales against actual performance. If introducing organisational change to create a leadership culture, focus on how speedily behavioural change is being incorporated into the style and actions of the management team.
Issue 5: Develop Tenacity and Stamina
You have to develop the momentum to sustain your efforts personally or organisationally by talking enthusiastically and positively to ‘self’ and ‘others’. This requires a sustainable motivation and pride in the need to achieve, and this can only come from you. Creating a firm foundation is no good if you fail to have the energy and the passion to see things through, even when you don’t feel strong or perhaps setbacks are getting you down
Issue 6: Take Personal Ownership & Responsibility for the Change
Take full responsibility and ownership for what happens. Don’t blame the Economy, Politicians or others. Take full ownership and make no excuses.
Failure happens sometimes and doing more of the same will have no positive impact. After all repeating the same activities time and time again and expecting different results is a good definition of insanity. So do something else. If that fails, reappraise and do something else. Ask, “is this taking me closer to or further away from my goals?” and commit to taking personal responsibility.
By following these six issues and constantly reviewing your progress, you can achieve any goal in the world.
Contact form or Email Philip
