In coaching, the typical approach is to focus on goals set, and goals achieved within a confined time frame. I like this for a couple of reasons:
If the goals are well crafted, they can motivate and are often attainable.
As a coach I believe, and enjoy being accountable to the person or organisation that has invested in themselves or their staff member.
When the coaching period is concluding, we reflect back to the original goals and we assess our progress and reflect on the value gained in the experience. “Was it worth it?”
With strategic planning, the timeframes can be anything from 3, 5 even 10 years or more. However even with strategic planning the focus tends to be on the next 12 months - what do we want to see improved this time next year?
I was doing some of my own reflecting this week and came across this page from my ‘ideas journal’. My old colleague Steve Lennon wrote the following on his LinkedIn page:
In business some leaders spend too much effort monitoring metrics (scoring) rather than inspiring motivating and enabling people to accomplish great things (kicking goals).
Winston Churchill did not say in 1940 “I want 3.2m enemy soldiers dead”.
Dr Martin Luther King did not say in 1965 “I want 12m black votes”
Evonne Goolagong did not say “in 1971 I want 86 career tennis titles”.
Madonna did not say in 1983 I want to sell 300m records.”
Amazing human achievements are not motivated by numbers.
As a leader are you focused more on scorekeeping or helping your players and teams achieve their personal bests?
In my handwritten notes you see I am questing the role of targets and asking if they motivate us towards acts of Bravery?
A lot of my clients say the homework or deadline of knowing they are about to meet with me are often the motivators for action rather than bravery! However on reflection, the culmination of these actions over the period of time tends to result in progress.
They might not see it, but I see and hear lots of Bravery. Do you recognise yourself here?
When you prepared for and had that difficult conversation – possibly saying sorry, or being courageous to ask for what you need.
When you conducted an honesty audit on your spending, putting in plans to ensure you can manage the unpredictable world we live in.
When you assessed your talents and sharpened up your CV, not out of fear but to be ready for opportunities that may arise.
When you realised you were forgetting the ones you love, or your passion project and you reinvested into these.
When your body or mind tells you that you have been putting yourself last and it's time to negotiate rest.
The worlds most known coaching model is the GROW model and if I take the segments of this and consider where acts of bravery can occur, I see it like this:
G for GOAL – A good coach will challenge you to get brave in setting your goals (remember it's not about target). For what it’s worth – don’t set goals about what you don’t want, but frame then up with WHAT YOU DO WANT!
R for REALITY – for me, this is about creating a comfort zone so that we can do the head, heart and soul work. It’s important here to know the difference between coaching and the need for some deeper therapeutic work.
O for OPTIONS – I love this part! Moving from the comfort zone into the brave zone is where we explore our options and test the viability of those things we want to invest in.
W for WAY FORWARD – here is where we exercise our “20 seconds of courage” often in those areas noted in red above.
This time last year I wrote this blog https://www.shirleyreeder.com/post/what-do-you-think-will-happen-when-the-clock-strikes-midnight-closing-out-2020 where I used Dr Seuss to encourage, advise and warn you of what might come. I also provided an end of year checklist. If you have some time, jump in and see how you have done this year and what 2022 might need with regards to your next Brave?
Thank you to those people who have bravely travelled with me this year! Thank you for allowing me to encourage and challenge you. Thank you for showing me your acts of bravery and allowing me to enjoy the lows and highs with you.
If you exercise your next brave - where do you believe you will be THIS TIME NEXT YEAR?
I'm planning on taking some rest time (as I hope you are too).
If you think you want to explore your next brave, please make contact and we will find some time to help you set goals for 2022.