Knowing Where You're Going

There was a sudden silence. Nobody really knew what to say. Gina stared at her notepad and took a swallow of cold coffee. She felt frustrated again, but probably no more so than anyone else in the room. She looked up.

"Isn't this meeting just one more merry-go-round ride?"

Jaws, as usual, had been silent all morning. It was a nickname he was proud of, because it acknowledged that he spoke little, and that when he spoke, he always said something important. This was one of those moments.

"I'm not surprised we can't agree on how to do it," he said. "We never really agreed on what we were trying to do."

More silence, as everyone took that in.

Too often, we get ahead of ourselves — we start working on the how before we really agree on the what. Sometimes we do this because "how" issues are simpler, and sometimes we think we agree on the "what" before we actually do.

Whatever the reason for this inverted approach to problem solving, it helps to have a clear fix on the goal. Here are some ways to remember to first agree on the needle before you debate about how to thread it.

If you don't know where you're going…

• …you can't tell when you've arrived.
• …your latest failure might be a good thing — or bad — but you can't tell.
• If you don't know
  where you're going,
  you can't tell
  when you've arrived…and if you don't know where you are, you could be in more trouble than you think.
• …it could be worse — you could think you know, and be wrong.
• …the size of the crowd that's following you might be a comfort, but you still don't know where you're going.
• …pretending otherwise fools only those who don't know where they're going either.
• …some of the people who disagree with each other about where you're going are probably right. But which ones?
• …you probably also don't know why you're going there.
• …it doesn't matter whether or not you're faster than the competition.
• …cutting the cost of getting there could be a waste of money.
• …there's no point arguing about the best way to get there.
• …there's no point arguing about the best way to argue about the best way to get there.
• …you might be headed away from where you ought to be.
• …asking for directions won't do much good.
• …going faster might be a bad idea.
• …going slower might be even worse.
• …following other people who seem to know where they're going won't get you there.
• …you might already be there.

Does your team know where it's going? If you do, do you all agree on where that is? And how sure are you that you'll still agree tomorrow?  Top    Next Issue

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More about achieving goals

Commitment Makes It Easier  [October 16, 2002]

When you face obstacles, sometimes the path around or through them is difficult. Committing yourself to the path lets you focus all your energy on the path you've chosen.

Beyond WIIFM  [August 13, 2003]

Probably the most widely used tactic of persuasion, "What's In It For Me," or WIIFM, can be toxic to an organization. There's a much healthier approach that provides a competitive advantage to organizations that use it.

Your Wishing Wand  [October 8, 2003]

Wishing — for ourselves, for others, or for all — helps us focus on what we really want. When we know what we really want, we're ready to make the little moves that make it happen. Here's a little user's guide for your wishing wand.

Give It Your All  [May 19, 2004]

If you have the time and resources to read this, you probably have a pretty good situation, or you have what it takes to be looking for one. In many ways, you're one of the fortunate few. Are you making the most of the wonderful things you have? Are you giving it your all?

Knowing Where You're Going  [April 20, 2005]

Groups that can't even agree on ``Em''what``/Em'' to do can often find themselves debating about ``Em''how``/Em'' to do it. Here are some simple things to remember to help you focus on defining the goal.

Workplace Myths: Motivating People  [July 19, 2006]

Up and down the org chart, you can find bits of business wisdom about motivating people. We generally believe these theories without question. How many of them are true? How many are myths? What are some of these myths and why do they persist?

Astonishing Successes  [January 31, 2007]

When we have successes that surprise us, we do feel good, but beyond that, our reactions are sometimes self-defeating. What happens when we experience unanticipated success, and how can we handle it better?

Achieving Goals: Inspiring Passion and Action  [February 14, 2007]

Achieving your goals requires both passion and action. Knowing when to emphasize passion and when to emphasize action are the keys to managing yourself, or others, toward achievement.

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