Goal Setting Research

ThinkTQ -- a leading publisher of virtual training products for personal and professional excellence -- announced their results of its Goals Study.

Their editors distilled this entire body of knowledge down to 10 key actions that, when taken, move you closer to achieving your goals.

1. Make all your dreams real by first identifying and then focusing on specific, tangible targets for what you want. (Only 26% of those tested say they do this frequently. Is it any wonder that, without a clear vision for what they want, people fail to find the success and happiness they desire?)
2. Maintain at least one clearly defined goal for every major interest and role in your life. (Only 12% of those tested do this consistently. Thus, 88% lack balance in their lives. )
3. Set your goals so they are directly aligned with your life's mission, purpose and passion. (Only 19% of those tested do this consistently. This leaves 81% that can't connect the dots between their life's' passion and purpose, and specific goals that would provide direction and meaning in their lives.)
4. Create goals high enough to ignite your spirit and inspire you to take action. (Only 26% of those asked take this action frequently.)
5. Write down all your goals in specific, measurable detail. (Less than 15% of those surveyed write down their goals.)
6. Absolutely, unconditionally commit to hitting each of your targets. (Only 33% of those surveyed say they're fully committed to their goals.)
7. Share your goals with others for mutual accomplishment. (Only 22% of those tested say they frequently share their goals with others.)
8. Set a whole series of related daily, weekly and long-term goals, complete with starting times and completion dates. (Less than 12% of those tested say they do this consistently.)
9. Take 10 minutes every day to imagine how terrific it will feel when your goals are actually realized.(Only 11% of those tested do this consistently. This, of course, is what leads to the huge disconnect between setting and achieving goals over time.)
10. Take an action step toward the attainment of at least one goal every day. (Only 7% of those tested do this daily.)

BOTTOMLINE: "With an average Set Goals TQ Score of just 49 out of 100 points, is it any wonder the vast majority of people have difficulty setting clear, tangible goals for themselves or their organizations? Success -- both personally and professionally -- depends on your ability to turn dreams and visions into tangible milestones and objectives."

Renewing Your Mission

Now with the beginning of the new year, we will be covering each of the individual steps, beginning with Discipline I - Decide What's Important, Step I-A, Renew Mission.

Some Hints and Tips to help you renew (or craft) your company's Mission:

• A company's mission explains why an organization exists and what its purpose is.
• Purpose should be enduring - something the pursuit of which is limitless.
• The simpler the better. Fewest words to express an powerful idea.
• Purpose must be authentic - must come from within, not based on what "looks good."
• Mission statements focus on WHY, not HOW (how is strategy, which changes over time.)

BOTTOMLINE: For more on Mission Statements, visit BNET here. And here's a blog all about company's mission statements.

Saying No Is Very Strategic

Sam Decker, a very astute marketer authoring Decker Marketing, offers his take on "Strategic Plan -- 12 Places to Say No"

His assertion is also one of the key elements of Discipline I. Decide What's Important, which is I-F - Agree What To Stop.

BOTTOMLINE: The essence of strategy is deciding what NOT to do.

Unless your priorities are clear enough that you know what not to do or what not to allocate resources to, you don't yet have a "strategy."

Five Things People May Not Know About Me

I’ve been “tagged” by several of my “blogging buddies” to post 5 things that most people probably wouldn't know about me.

Most probably realize that I work for Six Disciplines Corporation as the Director of Marketing.

What most probably don't know about me is that:

1. I’m a Music Fanatic. After the Beatles played on Ed Sullivan, things have never been the same (except for my hairline.) Since then, I’ve seen hundreds of concerts over the years. I’ve played guitar since I was 9, and can also carry a tune. Have lots of fun with Internet Karaoke (check out member “sreardon” at http://www.singshot.com/ - be kind). Prized possession is an Eric Clapton “Blackie” signature Strat. Along the way, I’ve played in a few bands, and even fronted for Chubby Checker in Cleveland back in 2000. Test me on my music trivia, but be prepared to go down in flames.

2. Cooking is a Passion. Have cooked for 1 to over 100 people. I’m particularly intrigued with combinations of colors, textures and tastes. Favorites include pastas, Cajun/Creole, seafood dishes. Fresh herbs and summer vegetables are the only way to go. Usually get rave reviews. Of course, a good bottle of Merlot to go with whatever - goes without question.

3. A True Sports Nut. Playing, participating, coaching - you name it. Basketball, football, baseball – and most recently, hockey. Was the 2nd fastest sprinter in high school - still hold my high school record for pushups (127 consecutive) – and pull-ups (119 consecutive). Only TV I watch now is sports (OK, maybe a few good documentaries…). I’m also nuts about sports trivia – hey, I’m no “Schwab” – but I can hold my own. There's nothing like some good competition - anytime, anyplace.

4. A Self-Made Computer Geek. I truly believe that software can do almost anything. I’ve worked for a small software vendor (Solomon Software) – that became very successful over a 20 year time span, merged with our biggest competitor, and was acquired by Microsoft. I've designed software, created training materials, wrote technical documents, I worked for Microsoft for 4 years as manager of industry analyst relations, also doing competitive intelligence and public relations work. I have been coding websites since 1994 (before most people even knew what the web was!). Am connected to the Internet more hours per day than I want to admit.

5. Passionate About Seeking Deeper Meaning. Knowledge, news, music, information, I need it 24 x 7. It’s all about deeper meaning: understanding, appreciating talent and excellence in all its forms, giving more than receiving.

There you have it. It was fun and provided a little chance to stroll down memory lane. Thanks for opportunity.

(And now, we return you back to our regularly scheduled programming...)

101 Common Sense Management Tips

The blog Business Intelligence Lowdown argues that to be an effective manager, you don’t need a shiny MBA degree, but just some common sense.

They recap 101 principles and tips, which you might already learn from your lemonade stand business, but forgot about them.

Enjoy!

Set Goals - Not Resolutions

It's the New Year, and tons of talk about setting new year resolutions - both personal and in business.

The first week of the year is often a time for making resolutions. We all know the common ones: Lose weight; get in shape; spend more time with family, etc.

Resolutions for our workplace might be to improve our time management, have better relationships with coworkers, or increase our productivity.

However long or short our lists, too often they fail to become reality.

Dan Bobinski offers his take on WHY we don't follow through on our resolutions:

It stems from three basic problems:

1. The goals are fuzzy – not clearly measurable.
2. The goals do not have a mapped out plan for success.
3. No accountability system is in place.

How to overcome these obstacles?

1. Clarify! Clear targets are easier to hit. S.M.A.R.T. goals are Specific, Measurable, Action-oriented, Realistic, and Time-factored.
2. Plan! Identify all that needs to happen. Write the steps out. Map them out. Draw projected timelines. Set milestones.
3. Be Accountable! Discuss your progress with others, otherwise you'll procrastinate and not get much done. Executives use personal or professional business coaches for accountability. Successful athletes stay accountable to their trainers and coaches. CFO's stay accountable to CPA's. Stay on track with what you want to do by being accountable to at least one other person. More is better.

BOTTOMLINE: A key component of the Six Disciplines Program is accountability coaching. Six Disciplines Leadership Centers offer accountability coaching to keep you on track, help you develop new habits, and show everyone in your organization how to be more accountable and self-managing.

The Three Keys to Change

Could you change when change really mattered? When it mattered most?

Yes, you say?
Try again.
Yes?
You're probably deluding yourself.
That's what the experts say.
They say that you wouldn't change.

Here are the odds that the experts are laying down, their scientifically studied odds: nine to one. That's nine to one against you. How do you like those odds?

Finally, we often believe that people can't change or that they "resist" change. We think that this is simply human nature. Our most distinguished experts--the MDs and PhDs and MBAs who run the health care and criminal justice systems and the largest manufacturing corporations--think that it's naive and hopeless to expect the vast majority of people to change.

In this excerpt from the introduction to his new book, Change or Die: The Three Keys to Change at Work and in Life, Alan Deutschman discusses the framework to successfully change yourself (or perhaps to change how you work.)

Change or Die is a short book about a simple idea.

There are three keys to change, which Deutschman calls the three Rs: relate, repeat, and reframe.

1. Relate
You form a new, emotional relationship with a person or community that inspires and sustains hope. If you face a situation that a reasonable person would consider "hopeless," you need the influence of seemingly "unreasonable" people to restore your hope--to make you believe that you can change and expect that you will change. This is an act of persuasion--really, it's "selling." The leader or community has to sell you on yourself and make you believe you have the ability to change. They have to sell you on themselves as your partners, mentors, role models, or sources of new knowledge. And they have to sell you on the specific methods or strategies that they employ.

2. Repeat
The new relationship helps you learn, practice, and master the new habits and skills that you'll need. It takes a lot of repetition over time before new patterns of behavior become automatic and seem natural--until you act the new way without even thinking about it. It helps tremendously to have a good teacher, coach, or mentor to give you guidance, encouragement, and direction along the way. Change doesn't involve just "selling"; it requires "training."

3. Reframe
The new relationship helps you learn new ways of thinking about your situation and your life. Ultimately, you look at the world in a way that would have been so foreign to you that it wouldn't have made any sense before you changed.

BOTTOMLINE: These are the three keys to change: relate, repeat, and reframe. New hope, new skills, and new thinking. This may sound simple at first, but it's not. Unfortunately, no one has been teaching us what we really need to know. People try alternatives to try to change, but they more often than not - fail to realize their goals. The reason isn't that they don't want to change or can't change but rather they don't understand change or have the right tools to effect it.

Six Disciplines is the first complete program to help individuals in small and emerging businesses to understand how to change, providing the right tools to effect it, and coaching to make the change process repeatable. This leads to achieving sustainable business excellence.


(CHANGE OR DIE. Copyright © 2007 by Alan Deutschman.)

Discipline I. Decide What's Important

Watch this streaming video of Gary Harpst, CEO and Founder of Six Disciplines Corporation, as he describes Discipline I. Decide What's Important.

(NOTE: Video is in Windows Media Format )

Discipline VI. Step Back

While working on the annual Discipline VI. Step Back, the whole organization learns to step back and gain perspective on the factors that affect their business performance.

By exploring External factors (competitors, industry, technology and economic trends) and Internal factors (goal performance, stakeholder feedback, measures), organizations go through a series of discovery exercises that enable its team members to step back and understand how to purposefully move ahead.

Individual team members also provide input on each other's performance by completing a 360 degree and an annual performance appraisal.

Watch this streaming video podcast of Gary Harpst, CEO and Founder of Six Disciplines Corporation, as he describes Discipline VI. Step Back.

(NOTE: Video is in Windows Media Format )

Mission Statements - Not All Fun & Games?

Ah....the beginning of a new year, and many organizations are wringing their hands around crafting a more succinct mission statement.

You're right -- it's NOT easy.

Lot's of good resources out there to help you....

• BPlans
• Boxes and Arrows
• CEO Refresher

And....if you just want some fun....Dilbert is always there to help generate your company's mission statement too!

Best Business Books of 2006 - Part III

Strategy+Business publishes a great business book list every year.

Here's their 2006 Best Business Book list, by category.

Reasons Why Strategic Plans Fail: Part II

Scott Glatstein, writes for the American Chronicle with this article "Business Strategy Execution: 4 Reasons Why Your Company’s Strategy Isn’t Working."

"Your business strategy defines your company’s intent. In essence, it’s a promise – a promise that defines what your organization intends to deliver to its customers and the marketplace. But articulating a good strategy is only the beginning. It’s the strategy’s execution that determines whether an organization can turn good intentions into profits."

Here are four primary reasons why your strategies aren’t living up to their full profit potential:

1. The strategy fails to recognize the limitations of the existing organization.
2. Employees don’t know how the strategy applies to their daily work.
3. The organization’s business systems or processes can’t support the strategy.
4. Performance metrics and rewards are not aligned with the strategy.

BOTTOMLINE: "Your employees need clear direction and the tools and processes necessary to support them. You need to “activate” your strategy. Strategy Activation is the new bridge that spans the chasm between strategic intent and marketplace implementation. It takes “what” an organization wants to do and defines “how” it is going to do it. It ensures that every employee drives the promises made to the marketplace across every customer touchpoint every day. Without this, your strategic vision will remain a presentation and nothing more."

Be Excellent a Favorite Business Blog of 2006

Be Excellent has been listed as a Favorite Business Blog of 2006 by the good folks at Diary of a Startup.

We are humbled for the inclusion!

Diary of a Startup is the blog from PeersightOnline, the nationwide CEO membership Organization offering access to leaders of growing companies. Most certainly worth the time to take a look at.

Check out the complete listing of business blogs here.

Succession Planning: Part II

Despite acknowledging the importance CEO succession, new research on U.S. organizations has found that a remarkable proportion have failed to put succession plans in place, an oversight that is symptomatic of a more widespread failures in talent management and leadership development.

According to this article from Management-Issues, around half the boards of public, private and nonprofit corporations consider their efforts around CEO succession to be less-than effective and a similar proportion admit they have no succession plan in place.

The findings emerged from a series of surveys published by The National Association of Corporate Director's (NACD) research arm, The Center for Board Leadership, in collaboration with Mercer Delta Consulting.

Their findings:

• A quarter of organizations acknowledge that their boards fall into "below acceptable" levels of CEO succession planning, despite directors identifying succession as among the leading concerns facing their companies.
• For directors on public boards, CEO succession is the second-most critical board concern, up from last year's third, while for directors on private boards, it ranks as the third-most important issue, up from fifth last year.
• Strategic planning and corporate performance were other issues high on the agenda for boards in 2006.

Results, Not Resolutions

Thom Quinn, over at The Q-Log, suggests we go for "Results, Not Resolutions."

Instead of thinking of a single resolution, set some real goals. Most resolutions are wishy-washy at best and an empty promises at worse. Instead, focus on goal-directed behavior which ends with powerful results!

Please consider using the S.M.A.R.T.E.R. Goal System I outlined this summer. This is more work and will take you a few hours to plan your year; however, would you go on vacation without some preparation?

If not, why would not take the time to insure you have the best year ever?

S.M.A.R.T.E.R. Goals

S – Specific, Significant, and Stretching
M – Measurable, Motivational, and Meaningful
A – Adventurous, Attainable, and Action-oriented
R – Realistic, Relevant, and Responsible
T – Time-Bound, Tangible, and Thoughtful
E – Energizing, Exciting, and Excellence
R – Roles, Recorded, and Reviewed

MP3s from Jim Collins

Jim Collins writes about core values in Built to Last, which of course has been a long-time bestselling business book on Amazon.com.

Check out his great selection of mp3s available on his website.

Top 10 Business Resolutions for 2007

As we begin the new year, it's a good time to set some resolutions for your business.

Consider the following:

1. Resolve to create a profile of your ideal customer and stick to it. Figure out who you can best serve and use this understanding as a guide for determining who to work with and who to refer on.
2. Commit to working with only your ideal customers for this year. You'll feel happier and your business will be more joyful.
3. Promise yourself to make business decisions guided by your heart, head and finances. Too much of any one is not good but a little of all three can be very helpful when considering new opportunities or approaches.
4. Agree to let yourself be known. Get more comfortable with promoting yourself and your business and let people know who you are and what you do.
5. Tend to your current best customers and ask for referrals to more customers just like them. This is the fastest and easiest way to grow your business.
6. Freshen up your marketing strategies. Try a new marketing approach, especially if it makes you stretch. Keep yourself on the growing edge and keep refining your marketing.
7. Learn something new. Seeking out new knowledge and new methods can keep you feeling interested and enthusiastic even with the occasional ups and downs of business.
8. Master a positive mindset. Keep your mind free of self doubt, worry, or fear. You can achieve what you desire or else you wouldn't want it in the first place.
9. Ask for help. Allow others to mentor, guide, support and coach you to reach your goals. The journey is better when it's shared. And it's more likely you'll get there - with help, than on your own.
10. Savor your accomplishments. What's the point of continually achieving business milestones if you never savor the feeling of accomplishment? The more you enjoy your business success, the more success you will have to enjoy.

Why New Years Resolutions Fail

From a site called bmindful, comes an article called "Why new years resolutions fail."

The example:

"Think how crowded the streets are in early January with people out walking, jogging or running. Think about all those people joining gyms and weight loss programs. What happens to these people come February? All has been forgotten and they are back to their old unhealthy ways."

And so it is in business.

BOTTOMLINE: It takes time, effort and persistence to overcome bad habits.

Good ideas - from business improvement books - are not enough. At Six Disciplines, we believe it not only takes a solid methodology to make business-building systematic, but also technology to make it practical - and local coaching to make it last. One way to start? Read Six Disciplines for Excellence, and decide for yourself - is your company a "Ready & Able" organization?

Happy New Year

From all of us at Six Disciplines Corporation, we wish for all of thousands of Be Excellent readers a Happy New Year.

Looking forward to a productive and safe New Year!

Six Disciplines for Excellence Makes The 2006 Book List

John Steffen offers his review of Six Disciplines for Excellence.

Here's a quick excerpt:

"In short, this book is a great overview of all of the different things you need to excel at in order to have a successful business. There's not any single concept that feels particularly groundbreaking. In fact, if you've read much of the popular and classic business press, you will immediately see where Mr. Harpst is grounded. But he makes no bones about it and gives credit appropriately. I think he is comfortable that his book is intended to be an overview and that if you really want to become expert in each area, you have to read more on your own, or hire a Six Disciplines consultant, of course."

"If you are just starting a small business and you are curious about resources that can help you with the business side of things, you can't go wrong with this book. I would blast through it quickly without reading all of the charts, tables, and graphs. Then, I would start from the beginning and read it for implementation purposes. When you get to an aspect of your business that you think needs extra focus, look at the footnotes that Mr. Harpst gives and start reading some of the books that he used to formulate his theories. The man ran a highly successful business so he knows what he is talking about."

Read the entire review here.