As we bid farewell to Thanksgiving and gear up for the grand entrance of 2024, amidst the holiday cheer, it's the perfect moment to hit the pause button, reflect on the past year, and kick off the exciting journey of setting new year's goals and resolutions.  Over the next three weeks, join me in unraveling insights, strategies, and tips to make your 2024 goals a reality.

The Power of Goals
Goals affect performance and outcomes, period.  Goals are not mere aspirations; they're the driving force behind exceptional performance and outcomes.  It's a fact—individuals and teams that set challenging goals consistently deliver the highest levels of effort and performance.  A casual "do your best" won't cut it; specificity in your objectives is the key.

Goals:  Your North Star
Goals serve a dual function—they keep us focused and energized.  In a world where attention is the new currency, waking up with a clear goal in mind directs our efforts toward what truly matters, leaving distractions in the dust.

Achieving steps toward a goal sparks a self-reinforcing cycle.  It's a celebration inside our brains, a recognition that we're on the right path.  This positive reinforcement fuels our focus, making the journey enjoyable and the destination even more satisfying.

The Why Behind Goals
Commitment is the secret sauce to a successful goal achievement journey. Research underscores that the relationship between goals and performance is strongest when there's a genuine commitment to those goals.  And how do we foster commitment?  By defining a compelling 'why'—a greater purpose that resonates clearly.  Thirty-five years of research echo the same sentiment: The significance of goal attainment must be deeply ingrained in the individuals pursuing it.

Whether it's a personal goal, a team effort, or a collaborative project, the purpose behind the goal is paramount.  A vision, a mission, or a core value driving the goal is the key to unlocking achievements.  And remember, the tougher the goal, the more critical the 'why' and commitment become.

If you're ready to embark on this purpose-discovery journey, check out these recent blogs for some inspiration::

• Four Beautiful Thoughts of Life
• A Clear and Present Data
• Glory and Danger Alike
• Success Is That Simple

Support is a game-changer for goal commitment.  Be an active listener, reward small victories, and eliminate obstacles standing in the way.  It's a collective effort, and every bit of encouragement fuels the commitment to achieving those milestones.

Aim High
Michelangelo was right.  The highest and most difficult goals produce the highest levels of both effort and performance.  So if your initial goal was, for example, reaching the 90th percentile of employee engagement on your team, why not shoot for the 95th or the 99th? 

Keep in mind that more difficult, complex, and longer-range goals need to be broken down into smaller, more proximal goals or tasks.  For example, if you're trying to reach out to at least 3,000 potential clients next year, break that down into monthly and daily goals.  Even the idea of contacting around 300 people per month might seem daunting.  But reaching out to 10 people on average per day seems much more doable.  When we break large goals into smaller tasks or goals we increase ours and others' self-efficacy.  We need to believe we can do it.

Unveiling Persistence
Studies unveil the fascinating connection between time management and goal performance.  Studies show that when a person is allowed to control the time they spend on a task, hard goals prolong effort.  It allows us to take advantage of a known success strategy:  Intensify efforts for short bursts of time or maintain a steady, deliberate pace over an extended period.

Another key?  A clearly defined deadline.  Tight deadlines lead to a more rapid work pace than loose deadlines.  Whatever the goal, having a clearly defined deadline or time-frame is key.

Next week, dive deeper into the world of goals and goal-setting as we explore SMART goals and BHAGs (big, hairy, audacious goals).  I'll be including a free SMART goal worksheet.  Your journey to a remarkable 2024 starts here—stay tuned!

Consider Enlisting an Expert
If you would like some expert guidance on goal-setting and/or project planning and achieving amazing results, schedule a free, one-hour discovery session with me:  60-minute Discovery Conversation with Alan

Call or eMail
eMail:  [email protected]
Phone:  346-291-0216

As a leader you are expected to look at data, make an analysis, and then action-plan based on that analysis.  But are you missing a very important piece of data?  One that could really be a clear and present danger?  A danger to employee engagement, retention, productivity, and more?

Record low
Gallup has recently reported on the erosion of mission and purpose at work. When you dive into their Global Indicators, question 8 reveals that the connection between the organization's mission and employees feeling that their job is important has taken a cliff dive as we came out of the pandemic.  The percent who strongly agree that the mission or purpose of their organization makes them feel their job is important is at a record low at only 33%.

Don't miss this data, too
You're a conscientious leader in your organization, so you can recite your organization's mission and values.  Did you know that clarity of organizational mission and values is not a driver of things like organizational commitment, job satisfaction, turnover intention, and organizational pride?  So what is?

Clarity of your own mission and values.  And the same is true for your team.  Why is that?

As it turns out, things like employee engagement, commitment, and success are not motivated by external drivers like organizational mission and values.  It's not an outside-in thing. 

Inside-out
It's the other way around.  It's an inside-out thing.  Abraham Maslow noted it about self-actualized people.  Stephen R. Covey noted it about highly successful people.  And, Kouzes and Posner noted it as the means to increasing motivation, commitment, and productivity at work and they added that those leaders with a clear leadership philosophy are more effective than those leaders who don't.

Clarity of personal life mission and values matters.  Purpose-driven leadership matters.  It should matter to you more as a leader trying to build a positive culture and drive your metrics.  Only when personal mission and values are clear for you and each of your team members, can you make personal, internal connections to the organization's mission and drive greater meaning and purpose at work.  Purpose-driven leadership makes a difference for you, for your team, and for your organization. 

But how so I do that?
As it turns out, it's not that hard.  It just takes some empirically-driven guidance and a short-term commitment to learn how to use some simple tools and implement some easy strategies.  In just three months, you could be leading with strong and confident purpose-driven leadership and ignite a shared journey of purpose within your team.

The Purpose-Driven Leadership Program offers an unparalleled opportunity to skyrocket your leadership impact through two powerful, enriching, empirically-driven, engaging, and self-directed online courses.  You also get access to our online community of like-minded leaders participating in the program and our optional, once a month live Q&A and networking event.

Group discounts are available.  Enroll today or reach out to me.

eMail:  [email protected]
Call:  346-291-0216

Whether you're conducting a one-on-one, networking, chatting with a neighbor, or talking with your kids, there are certain questions and phrases that can take a conversation to the next level.  Here's one from the coaching perspective that I've been using lately in almost every single conversation with anyone I want to dive deeper into with or take to the next level:

No matter how positive or happy people seem on the outside, almost all of us are dealing with some challenge or obstacle.  Like Eyring states in our opening quote, when we approach conversations as if the other person were in serious trouble, we'd be right more than half the time.  Some are facing small challenges and others are downright calamitous.  But we're all dealing with (or sometimes avoiding) something.  That's life.

It's amazing how even nearly complete strangers will open up and share.  Just recently, I've had people share challenges from needing to increase client acquisition or employee engagement to sharing how they're trying to deal with a toxic leader or childhood trauma.

Why do people open up and share?  When was the last time anyone asked you that question?  Yup.  Even though almost all—if not all—of us are facing some type of challenge, almost no one ever asks us what that is. 

Some places are even dealing with toxic positivity where people seem forced to wear a positivity mask all day and end up cloaking and suppressing their real emotions just to look good and stay in the good graces of the leader.

Leaders who genuinely understand their team members' challenges can create a more supportive, safe, and engaged work environment.  You may want to consider sharing your own challenges first.  This vulnerability fosters a culture of openness and trust.

When we ask a question about challenges or obstacles, we open the door for our true shared-humanity to connect us even deeper.  We open the door to deeper trust, to empathy, to more authentic compassion, and even to love.

Want to take it even deeper?
The importance of active listening after asking this type of question cannot be overemphasized.  You will gain valuable insights by truly understanding their needs and concerns.  As Covey has said, "Listen to understand, not to respond."  That also means paying attention to body language, tone, and other cues that might reveal more than words alone.

A great follow-up phrase when someone trusts you enough to share their biggest challenge or obstacle is, "Tell me more about that."  It gives them the wide open space to expand and explain the back story and context.  It opens up space to share feelings and perspectives.  It gives you space to ask clarifying questions so you can build even deeper understanding and empathy.  You might follow-up with, "How long has this been going on?" or "How do you know this is a problem?"

One of the most important things we can do during these conversations is to validate.  Validation in active or empathic listening is an oft-forgotten key element.  It is how others know that they are heard, cared for, and matter.  It might sound something like, "It makes sense that you're feeling frustrated when Mark doesn't acknowledge your contributions" or "I think anyone who had been ghosted like that would be feeling anxious."

Listening for why the issue is a challenge for them can reveal what a person truly values and how violating those values is and can impact them.

And the best part is, you don't have to fix it for them or offer advice.  That's probably a sure-fire way to shut the conversation down and turn them off.  Better, ask them what they've tried so far or what their plans are to remedy the situation.  You could ask, "Who is someone you trust that might help you?" or "What do you think will happen if you don't do anything?"

The overnight miracle
Another follow-up question to ask when you've gained clarity about their issue is, "If, when you went to sleep tonight, a miracle occurred overnight and this was completely resolved or achieved, what would have had to have changed?"  This helps them zero-in on key issues and actions that they need to take or ask of others.  Sometimes, it reveals to them that their issue is out of their sphere of control or influence and it might be time to let it go.

But none of those deeper questions and empathy can occur if I don't first ask, "What’s your biggest challenge or obstacle right now?"  When we approach key conversations with the perspective of curiosity about a shared common human condition—that we're all facing some sort of challenge, obstacle, or trouble—then we are leading with empathy, compassion, and love. 

Of course, this isn't the only question you can ask to take a conversation deeper or launch it to the next level, but it's a strong one to add to your toolbox.

Key take-aways

• Almost everyone is dealing with some type of challenge or obstacle
• Asking about that opens the door for deeper connection, learning, and understanding
• It can reveal what a person truly values
• It can help you understand your team members' challenges
• It can create a more supportive and engaged work environment
• It builds trust and more committed relationships
• You model leading with empathy, compassion, and even love
• You create an environment where people feel safe to come to you with future issues and challenges

A few weeks ago, I delved into the pressing issue of accidental managers and discussed what organizations and individuals can do to address this growing concern.  Accidental managers are individuals thrust into leadership roles without the necessary skills, training, or preparation.  They often find themselves navigating these roles by chance, which is far from an ideal scenario.

One of the most critical steps organizations can take to combat accidental managers and develop effective leaders who significantly impact various key metrics is to champion purpose-driven leadership, a practice that few organizations are effectively implementing.

The emerging leader
This absence of a focus on purpose-driven leadership is not only detrimental to accidental and seasoned leaders but is also affecting emerging leaders. 

A global research study published by the Center for Creative Leadership titled, It's You, Not Them: Why emerging leaders need your support to succeed, reveals that organizations are falling short in helping potential leaders find personal meaning in leadership roles.  This deficiency often leads to a significant number of emerging leaders without any plans to pursue leadership roles.  They struggle to see how moving into a leadership position relates to their personal goals or aligns with their deeper sense of self.

The authors of the study highlight the importance of helping potential leaders reflect on their "why" and see how leading within your organization can connect with their personal goals, sense of identity, and greater sense of purpose.

You can support all of your leaders—whether they are accidental, emerging, or seasoned—by helping them make that connection between leading in your organization with who they are and their personal goals and purpose.

In today's environment, it's crucial for each team member to understand how they can contribute to bringing their purpose to life and how it aligns with the mission and values of the organization.  When this alignment is achieved, your organization can reach new heights in terms of commitment, alignment, and success.

But how?
A remarkable leadership development experience centered around championing purpose-driven leadership and leveraging it as a leader is readily available to you.

The Purpose-Driven Leadership Program offers an extraordinary opportunity to enhance your impact and the impact of your leaders through two powerful, evidence-based, engaging, and self-directed online courses.  The program also includes learning pods for those who wish to take it as a team.

In addition to top-quality materials and a world-class Learning Management System (LMS) platform, the program provides access to an online, private community, at no extra cost.  Participants are also invited to join live monthly virtual networking and Q&A events with like-minded leaders enrolled in the program, hosted by the instructor and facilitator, yours truly.

Furthermore, we offer the flexibility to choose hybrid or in-person versions of the program while still providing access to all online content and experiences.

This program empowers leaders to make a positive impact on critical metrics such as employee engagement, productivity, innovation, revenue and financials, wellbeing, retention, and overall leadership effectiveness.

Don't miss the opportunity to champion purpose-driven leadership within your team or organization. 

Contact me today to learn more about the program and take the first step toward developing purpose-driven leaders who can drive your organization to new heights.

You can watch a video about the program and learn more here: