| Much of what we as individuals and owners do in the | | | | To reach our goals, we must 1st change our lifestyle |
| name of planning and goal setting is a complete | | | | and daily habits NOW! |
| waste of time. | | | | We must then summon the courage keep up the |
| Yep, you heard me right. The process is about as | | | | new habits and not yield to old familiar temptations, |
| effective as making New Year's Resolutions. Why? | | | | i.e. email, then and only then, we get the benefits |
| Personally and professionally we already know what | | | | late. We as humans are terrible at delayed |
| we should do: Lose weight, quit smoking exercise | | | | gratification. |
| more, professionally, our plans are loaded with build | | | | How many have bought self improvement programs |
| client/candidate relationships, be motivated make a | | | | and not finished them? We end up with "shelf-help" |
| lot of money. | | | | not self help! |
| WE WANT the benefits. WE know what to do and | | | | That's our pattern: Try a little, succumb to |
| why we should do it and you even know how to do | | | | temptation, and distractions. |
| it. Yet most won't do what's good for them. Let's | | | | There is rarely any benefit from dabbling or trying |
| face it: I can tell you how to thrive in an off market | | | | only a little. As Maister says: |
| in 3 simple sentences. | | | | - We can't get half the benefits of better marriage |
| 1) Do WHATEVER is necessary to speak with 15-20 | | | | by cutting out ½ your affair |
| people a day. | | | | - We can't cure ½ the problems of alcoholism |
| 2) Arrange 3-4 first-time interviews a week. | | | | by cutting ½ the drinks. |
| 3) Study recruiting and selling technique 45 minutes a | | | | - Losing weight may be the most important to you, |
| day. | | | | but if you aren't willing to make the CHANGES that |
| In a new book, Strategy and the Fat Smoker by | | | | specific goal requires, its importance is irrelevant. |
| David Maister he discusses why most plans done in | | | | The same is true in recruiting, especially in a |
| the professional service arena fail. | | | | downturn. We can AND DO discuss setting goals, it's |
| My observation is that most business plans done by | | | | fun, it creates a "sugar high", BUT gets no where |
| recruiters and owners are a complete waste of time. | | | | near the real questions. |
| Personally and professionally, we know what to do: | | | | Improving the quality of the goal setting exercise is |
| "I need to plan" | | | | NOT where the problem lies. The necessary outcome |
| "I need to make more marketing calls." | | | | from these exercises can't be just the goal, but must |
| "I need to add value to my business relationships." | | | | become RESOLVE! |
| "I need to hire" | | | | The ESSENTIAL questions of goal setting strategy |
| "I need to hold my people accountable" | | | | are these: |
| Maister continues that many change efforts based on | | | | - Which of our habits are we really prepared to |
| assumption that all you have to do is to explain that | | | | change, permanently and forever? |
| their lives could be better, CONVINCE them their | | | | - Which lifestyle changes are we REALLY prepared |
| goals are worth going for and show them how to do | | | | to make? |
| it. | | | | - What issues, i.e. call reluctance, fear of rejection, |
| This Assumption is patently false! If this assumption | | | | etc are we REALLY ready to tackle? |
| were true, there would be no drug addicts, no | | | | That's a different tone of conversation and |
| alcoholics, no bad marriages. We would say "Oh, that | | | | discussion, and the reason we tend to avoid it. |
| behavior is not good for me, "I'll stop of course" This | | | | Discussing goals is stimulation, inspiring, and energizing! |
| is nonsense! | | | | But it feels tough, awkward annoying, frightening, and |
| Yet our planning process and our goal setting | | | | completely unpleasant to discuss the DISCIPLINE |
| exercises remain the same. As managers you set | | | | needed to reach those goals. |
| your office goal, and help with your team, and we | | | | Just as all diets have flaws, so does each solution |
| replicate this same useless structure year after year. | | | | you will come up with but, which, integrated into your |
| "Look how fabulous it would be if you were a fit, | | | | day can you ADOPT as a central part of your |
| exercising, in shape person." To which our usual | | | | business lifestyle. |
| response is "True, Now shut up and go Away!" | | | | There is no shame in being average, to be |
| We all know what to do. Why don't we do it? THAT | | | | "competent" if you are unwilling to pay the price of |
| is an interesting Question. | | | | excellence. BUT, don't mislead your spouse, your |
| The primary reason we do not work at behaviors | | | | manager or colleagues, clients, or ... YOURSELF with |
| we KNOW we need to improve is that the rewards | | | | time wasting, demoralizing attempts to convince |
| and pleasure are in the future. The discomfort, | | | | them you are ACTUALLY committed to pursuing the |
| discipline, frustration needed to get there in the | | | | goal. |
| immediate. | | | | |