Our obsession with reaching self-imposed milestones or those demanded by others has the flip side of a very limited knowledge of what it means to achieve something. In this article I try to shed light on the process and share a formula that It has enhanced my path and the development of others.
Our achievements and how to get there
First, I often find that we don't delve into the whyor the what for, into the underlying purpose or objective of ourgoals. We tend to work for a diffuse long-term desire, certain that a path of repeated achievements and accumulation of resources will bring us closer to reality. to that place (the success fallacy). Going deeper into this point can save us the effort of "succeeding" or losing our lives in something we don't want.
Once the goal (or goals?) has been defined, it is time to formulate our strategy:
Strategy: it has to do with the choice of activities that we will do and above all those that we will not intentionally do (trade-offs) to achieve the objective. Consistency and reinforcement of these activities is key. It is essential to understand that the strategy is a theory (based on hypotheses) of how we will achieve something. It traces the path, but it has to be flexible in the face of new information. It's about differentiating ourselves and being effective: being the best at everything is unviable and results in an expensive and non-competitive position.
How we achieve something: in the only possible way at a personal or professional level and at a human organization or business level.Generating value for other people and capturing value.
Every strategic activity generates value to other actors (people or groups of people!).Choosing those actors(where to play) is a powerful part of strategy.
But what? is value?: It is different for each person. I receive value when they support me to solve a problem, to meet a need, to achieve a desire, to experiment, to be valued. It also brings us value that protects us from fear or gives us security (some choose the path of exploiting this part of value by extorting or abusing others).
Our imprecise definition of how to achieve something limits the skills and resources we develop during our careers. We focus on promotions, prestige and resources like money, working long hours and leaving many of our desires and relationships aside. Our formal career closes quickly. and many of us feel helpless.
On the path to achieving our purpose and meeting our goals generating value to others, it is very important to have the ability to draw up and executestrategies outside the rules and incentives established by the others.
To accompany leaders in their development and simplify this process, I designed the following formula:
Our skills (talent x effort) and resources are simply the base to achieve our objectives. These resources can include everything from technical knowledge, money, to access to specific tools and technologies.
On the other hand, perseverance (emotional intelligence), as described Angela Duckworth in Grit is vital to overcoming obstacles and difficulties on the path to our goals. In his book he demonstrates how perseverance (effort, resilience) and passion combined over long periods of time are better indicators of "success" than talent.
Finally, social capital is the network of connections and relationships we build, including friendships, family, colleagues, mentors, and other contacts. Its power lies in multiplying our abilities and resources by accessing those of others (knowledge, talents, contacts, skills, resources, emotional support). Let us always remember that it is people who enable our achievements through the exchange of value.
Adam Grant explains to us in Give or Take how the most successful people build healthy relationships by giving first.
We can define our strategy combining different components of the formula.
In what? Are you focused today? How are you dealing with it? Are you drawing on your social capital? Who in your network would easily achieve this goal? Are there any soft skills you should develop? Which of your skills or resources should you focus on?
It is essential to understand the formula and keep in mind that with perseverance (effort or resilience) = 0, achievements cannot be achieved, with social capital = 0 we cannot even begin the path to our goal.
My purpose on a professional level is to offer tools of power to more and more good people. Demonstrate that by caring for others and generating genuine value for others we can grow in collaboration and coexist without violence, achieving our purposes in a world of abundance.
How do I do it? Through training, mentoring and consulting in intellectual, emotional and relational skills and tools that make up this formula and the creation ofcommunities of learning, collaboration and growth. I hope you find this approach simple, powerful and effective to supercharge your path to achievement. what is it? What part of the formula are you developing?
