From the President
Goody. The holidays are upon us. Every time I step into my car, I sing along with my favorite Christmas CD's. It's been a great year, and I feel like singing.
What a pleasant contrast from the years when, as an insurance broker, I had to negotiate and implement major deals for major clients for January 1 attachment.
If you're not placing a complex insurance program next week, consider taking time to nail down your 2006 goals. The article below offers perspective on how to set yourself up for resounding success.
Happy holidays and best wishes for a healthy and successful 2006!
Sincerely, Pam Pound
In this issue
Set Yourself Up for Success: How to Create Goals That Propel You Forward Building Trust in a Wired (or Wireless) World
(Almost) Last Call for Building High Value RelationshipsTM
"While we are often adept at handling 'something big' that happens to us, we are lousy at dealing with small, slow changes. So we slowly let our relationships dissolve, or we slowly get out of shape."
--Bill Welter and Jean Egmon, The Prepared Mind of a Leader
SEt yourself up for success: How to create goals that propel you forward
In our October newsletter, we made the case for clarifying what you want to achieve before you strategize on how you'll get there. Once the "what" is in clear view, you can turn your attention to the two "how" components: (1) goals and (2) strategies.
This month, we offer perspective on the first "how" component - goals that inspire you to move powerfully towards your target, no matter how challenging. Next month, we'll follow up with the nuts and bolts of defining and managing strategies.
While goals must be "tangible" enough to be measured and monitored, they flow from an unrealized vision and give life to our most important values. Connecting with these non-tangible aspects of goal-setting sets up a dynamic and empowering field of play.
We invite you to consider all of the following as you set your goals for 2006:
One: Own the goal
The most critical component for success is simply to set each goal yourself based on your intention and commitment. Don't agree to performance goals created by your boss, weight loss goals set by your spouse, sports challenges set by your friends--unless those goals resonate within you. Make sure this is something YOU really want to have or achieve.
Two: Stay within your sphere of influence
You can't change people or factors outside of your control. If you're part of a team that commits to a goal, clarify what each person is expected to contribute and confirm each person's personal commitment to the process.
Three: Distinguish budgeting from goal-setting
When I sold insurance products and helped clients with their annual budget, we always included a "fudge" factor to guarantee that we made budget. And we simultaneously set aggressive "stretch" goals for improving the program design, implementation, and cost.Budget and goals are different. Be conservative in your budget and aggressive in goal-setting.
Four: Be realistic
"Stretching" implies that the fabric holds together as the material covers a wider span. And there's still a limit on how far a piece of elastic will go. Do sufficient strategic thinking to determine that your goals are realistic. Don't target Mars when you have only enough fuel to reach the moon.
Five: Be specific
Define success, so that you can really celebrate when you get there. If you want to "grow your business," specify an exact dollar amount or number of new clients. If you want to "become a more effective manager," decide how you will measure improvement in management effectiveness.
Numerical measurements - i.e., staff turnover, overtime hours worked, units processed, and customer ratings - are preferable. Lacking those, identify or create a measurement tool based on a subjective "before and after" assessment of relevant performance factors. Decide who will do the assessment, and get a baseline measurement.
Six: Connect with the values that drive your goals
Be honest. Do you really get excited about increasing revenues and accumulating wealth, or are the derivatives of financial success what mean the most?
Determine why each goal is important for you to achieve, especially when it comes to the financial ones. For most people, money is the means to an end.It's the end value that provides energy to push through obstacles and setbacks.
The operative question for getting at end values is, "What does that give me?"Ask that question over and over until you know that you've found the right end value. Yes, you'll know.
To illustrate, let's say that the financial goal is a 15% increase in revenues. That gives me...
recognition as a high-performer in the company--which gives me...
a very large bonus and a plaque for my office--which gives me...
public recognition, a great industry reputation, and the resources to support the lifestyle that I want for my family--which gives me...
a sense of competence and accomplishment, flexibility and leverage in my career, freedom from anxiety around the future --which gives me...
the ability to provide for my family and time for family, friends, community service, and myself--which gives me...
strong relationships within and outside my family and fulfillment of my need to contribute--which gives me...
connection, love, support, and a deep sense of satisfaction.
What are the end values associated with your financial goals? Identify them, and you will tap into a reservoir of purpose to propel you forward.
Seven: Step into the future
If you have taken the time to "See YOUR Target" (See October newsletter), this is easy and natural. See what the world--your world--will be like when you achieve your goal.
Each of us has a preference for how we understand and integrate ideas and information. With that in mind, consider some of these options for "stepping into" the future that you want to create:
imagine how you will feel when you achieve your goal. Bring that feeling into your body and actually experience it.
visualize how the world will look and feel when you achieve our goal. Create a physical representation and put the object where you can regularly see it.
talk to anyone who will listen about your goal and where it will take you.
think about the impact that achieving this goal will have on your personal and professional success.
dream or daydream about your goal.
Eight: Step into the alternative
Flip the "positive" experience of achieving your goal into the pain of not getting there, and feel the pain. In your own style, try to experience what your world will be like if you don't achieve your goal.
Nine: Set a specific deadline date
Set a target date for completing the goal. Almost everyone gives priority to tasks that are time sensitive. Open-ended goals end up at the bottom of the priority list.
Ten: Publicize it
Publicize and regularly talk about your goal either within the organization or with a friend or advisor. Speaking the goal gives it life and importance.If you don't want to publicize your goal, consider what your reticence may indicate about your commitment or confidence level.
Eleven: Dedicate yourself to the goal
Decide not to quit or walk away from your goal, no matter how difficult it becomes. Commit to do whatever it takes.
Many individuals find that it's helpful to have a "goal buddy," someone who agrees to help them stay focused and hold themselves accountable for steady progress.
Get your goals on paper by mid-January. We'll begin strategizing then! Happy New Year!
Pinnacle Success Partners, Inc. offers a complimentary initial consultation to help you uncover and address the opportunities and challenges that will have the greatest impact on YOUR success. Call 708-651-2483 to request an appointment or send us a message.
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Building Trust in a Wired (or Wireless) World
Within the past couple of years, I have purchased countless products and services from people whom I've never met. A woman in Pennsylvania designed my logo and stationary. My web designer lives in Florida, and my newsletter designer in Houston took a short break to evacuate due to hurricane.
My husband and I hired an architect that we've never personally met to design a major addition to a house that he's seen only in digital photos.
Before video-conferencing became "hot," I connected electronically with 60+ insurance brokers in 40+ foreign countries to create a coordinated global insurance program. And it worked.
I've never met most of my "remote" providers, and yet we've somehow been able to work incredibly well together. It's not difficult to imagine that, like me, each of you has had amazing successes and perhaps suffered a breakdown or two in the virtual business world. Would you be willing to share your perspective on what's working well and what's not?
I'm finishing up a quick electronic survey on this topic that we'll sendd in a separate message next week. Please participate! We'll write a follow-up article in March.
(Almost) Last Call for Building High Value Relationships(TM) in Chicago
Next January, Building High Value RelationshipsTM (BHVR) comes to Chicago for the first time in a public program. Block out January 30-31 on your calendar, so that you can improve your capacity to:
--build your reputation as the "go to" professional in your field - the person who really understands the clients' most important issues and priorities
--be recognized as a leader who delivers outstanding business results, and
--find and focus on the opportunities that will have the greatest impact on your success.
The program will be held on the campus of the Lake Forest Graduate School of Management. Steve Lishansky, creator of the program, will facilitate part of the workshop and be available to help you address your most important challenges.
Pinnacle Success Partners, Inc. will offer follow up coaching to deepen your integration of the powerful BHVR principles.
Clients Talk about BHVR's Value to Them:
"I can honestly say this is the most unique and successful program we ever offered. We are so much better at determining what is most important to our customers, and avoiding low value activities that used to overload our people. The quality of our communication and collaboration is higher, and it happens in much less time." CIO, MetLife
"It really works! BHVR gave us the skills and tools to get the job done, and played a crucial part in launching our company into growth mode. I recommend this program enthusiastically." COO, InfoGraphics
"Successful? BHVR is one of our highest rated and most popular programs (over 1200 participants) in our corporate university, both in the US and Europe. As an important part of our emerging leaders' curriculum, it has significantly improved their relationship management skills, and we are seeing dramatically improved business results with their internal teams and external clients." Chief Learning Officer, American Management Systems
"The day after your 2-day program my team and I solved a huge problem with one of our largest clients that had been festering for 6 months - and did it in less than 1 hour. BHVR is powerful, practical and fast!"
VP, Fidelity Investments
If you call or email us before January 20 to register, we will provide a "2 for 1" special price based on full tuition. The phone number is 708-651-2483, and the email address is info@pinnaclesuccesspartners.com
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