Faster, More Profitable and Greater Success With Accelerated Goal Achievement

Yes we know. It's a long title and we're making a big claim! However, we believe that you'll discover the truth of this claim as you give attention to four key strategies that optimize your successes. Most of us, no matter our role, could do at least a little better by focusing on one or two of these ideas.

Develop a comfort for delegating and/or asking for help to reach your goals- Do you ever stop to think about the dollars wasted when you don't delegate? Consider this. When we don't delegate what we can, important dollars are wasted in three ways. One, people are being paid without doing the work that could be theirs to do. Two, you are being paid too much to do the work that you could be delegating. Three, when you are absorbed in accomplishing what someone else could do, you are not accomplishing what you are best suited to do. All of this gets expensive. Recently, a vice president in a college remarked, "Delegate, delegate, delegate. It's a hard thing to do, but when you notice that the people who report to you aren't busy and you are swamped, you need to recognize that the problem is you."

Also, many want to help you when you take the initiative to ask for their assistance. Consider whose skills, knowledge, and talents can help you reach one or more of your goals. Be specific in your request and there is great probability that you will receive what you need. There is power in offering help. By asking others for their assistance, you are enabling them to leverage their gifts and skills.

Execute to accomplish your goals- Mark Krivoruchka, Senior Vice President for Human Resources at Maytag Corporation reflects, "People spend too much time on the planning of a project and not enough time on the execution of the project. You can never communicate enough about a project, its milestones, and the accountabilities and roles of team members. Communicate over and over again."

What truth. Just last week, I was consulting with a Human Resource association that wanted improved recruitment and retention of their members. As we worked through a rational process to identify high priority strategies for success in these areas, one of the members spoke up. "We've had some of these ideas before. We've even tried some of these ideas before. But we don't seem to follow through." Again, true words. Although all of us know that planning includes who, what, when, where, how and why, plans consistently go awry. And consistently we discover that there was a lack of crystal clear goal definition, a fuzzy time line, and/or a lack of accountability in terms of who was going to do what by when. Execution. Hold yourself accountable to follow through. Hold others accountable to their part of the execution.

Minimize the interruptions that block your progress toward your goals- Many of claim that interruptions are the bane of our existence. They don't have to be. Most of us can do a better job controlling what interrupts us. When an interruption arises, evaluate it in terms of its importance to your goals. If it's an enabler to your progress, it may be a good interruption. If it's not, then it's a bad interruption. Consider these questions since none of us are immune to unwelcome interruptions.

Do you control interruptions or do interruptions control you?

Do you have the gift of handling interruptions swiftly and decisively?

Specifically, what are time wasters for you?

What specific actions will you take to decrease the number of interruptions to your day?

Review and report on the progress toward your goals- This need isn't just for you. It's also for those who work with and around and for you. Over and over again, employees report that they are not acknowledged, recognized or thanked for the jobs that they do. It's a good bet that some of those employees work with and/or for you on the goals that are under your area of responsibility. Reviewing goal progress gives you valuable opportunities to affirm others' work as well as to assure that you are on track with execution. Your progress reviews can fan the flames of motivation in others as they hear encouraging and affirming words.

There you are, four key strategies that can make a difference to how quickly you achieve your goals. Steve Jobs has been quoted, "I want to put a ding in the universe." What ding do you want to make? Apply one or more of this newsletter's ideas to achieve goals that make a difference.

By Susan B. Wilson, President, Executive Strategies