Getting Results! (728 words)
Getting results is the perpetual problem for employers, employees and those that are self-employed—most everybody. Getting results is arguably the most important aspect of running a business—everything else is secondary.
Goals:
Many experts will site goals as the foremost ingredient necessary for achieving results. I agree that goals are important; providing that the goals are dated and are measurable, otherwise inaction is certain. If one has no idea as to when, or how much; there really never was a goal in place but rather a dream. At my seminars, I handout T-Shirts stating “Ideas are just dreams without implementation” to remind people that it is all about results.
Inactivity Darlings:
Inactivity darlings are those things that we allow to get in the way of our results. They are those things that seem to let important priorities languish.
- Priorities, for some reason are easily thrown off kilter. When was the last time you caught yourself doing something fun as opposed to some activity that was time critical? I bet you haven’t done anything like this since…well, since yesterday.
- Value perceptions can be huge disablers if perceptions are flawed. This idea applies on either side of the employment issue to both employees and their employers. Having an honest handle on one’s worth at the workplace helps. However, employers seem hesitant to be straightforward about this issue.
- Blame, both causes and allows immobilization in the workplace. In work environments where persons are in fear for their jobs and livelihood, blame is all-pervading. Why in the world would any employer create this kind of a culture?
Break Down The Action Barrier!
Are any of the above inactivity darlings prevalent in your work environment? If so, everyone needs a lift. Give your people a passion plug-in which assuredly leads to the taking of some sort of action. You need to develop motivation in the workplace and it matters not if it emanates internally or externally. But, you’ve got to have it.
Passion Plug-In:
A passion plug-in is any activity that gets people excited, that gets them to care, that is uplifting and inspirational. Creating a passion plug-in is easier than you think. Intelligent workplace competitions are very effective passion plug-ins. Company sports teams are effective passion plug-ins. And for the self-employed, a passion plug-in could be something as simple as a reward you offer yourself for achieving an activity by a specified date or time. Recognitions are huge passion plug-ins!
Recognitions:
Recognitions, plural to remind each of us that recognizing an employee’s performance must be a regular journey as opposed to a single destination. In the mid 1990s, I was traveling North America for the Dun & Bradstreet Foundation conducting full-day seminars. For several months I conducted a personal research project on recognition. Asking this question of all attendees, “What is one thing your boss or company could do to improve your loyalty?” Fifty percent of the written responses: RECOGNITION. Recognitions do not have to be expensive; I did not say…incentive. Recognitions must simply recognize one’s behavior, performance or attitude.
Persistence:
Persistence is the final necessity for getting results. No matter how darn good you are; if you don’t stick with it—you will fail. I entered the world of professional speaking on a full-time basis in 1990. I can’t tell you how many wide-eyed would-be professional speakers I’ve seen come and go over the years. Quite frankly, many better than me; however the ones that left didn’t have the “stuff to make it work” didn’t last long. Conversely, I have seen mediocre performers in many fields succeed because they stuck it out—think Forrest Gump and the shrimp boat.
Just being the best at something is not enough. Likewise, being a so-so performer is not necessarily the kiss of death. For years, I served as a referee for the United States Soccer Federation and the common theme, I observed, of winning teams was not having a couple star performers but rather eleven men, women or children that were willing to work together to consistently move the ball up the field.
Working together to achieve a common goal that is dated and measurable is a fabulously effective Passion Plug-In. Plug into what excites you about your industry, organization, or career and you will break past your personal barrier and inactivity darlings to achieve the results you desire.
Ed is the Founder and CEO of the 501(c)(3) non-profit public charity, Cigar PEG Philanthropy through Fun, and president at Rigsbee Research which conducts qualitative member ROI research and consulting for associations and societies. He has been called “the dynamite that broke up our log jam” by association executives—rarely politically correct and almost always provocative—and from a dozen years as a United States Soccer Federation referee, Ed calls it the way he sees it. Exceptional resources at www.rigsbee.com.
