Managing Yourself when Underperforming to Goals
I attended an excellent MDHub100 work group yesterday. The work groups I think of as being most like AA for CEOs and MDs. A place where you can relax in the company of trusted peers and share your deepest, darkest issues.
It was a digitally focused group with the most excellent Rosie Freshwater from Leapfrogg, Jason Woodford from AI Digital and Liquid Light’s Robert Day. Most ably facilitated by Fi Shafer from Omega Blue.
The conversations covered the challenges leaders have personally in managing themselves: their self-expectations and standards in situations where financial under-performance has taken place against extremely ambitious goals.
Now obviously there’s the whole thing about setting overly ambitious goals, and avoiding disappointment or demotivation by not doing. However, to most of the members of the MDHub such talk is sacrilege. So it then comes down to how to manage.
I explained in the meeting how I did it. That I ensure that I have a very clear mission and vision. That I quickly look back and draw attention for myself (and others as needs be) to how far we’ve come. I then ruthlessly evaluate whether in the here and now I am doing all that I can do in terms of putting in place the expandable foundations for success that will be needed to deliver the vision and mission.
This means in real terms that I accept my performance in relation to any goals set as being relative to what is required to achieve the end. If I have done, and am doing, as much as I can then I cannot be frustrated by any under-performance. If what I have done, and am doing, is the best foundation that I can have for the successful achievement of future vision then I cannot be frustrated by any under-performance.
It all ends up being down to:
- Externalities (markets/ competition/ limiting factors (mainly people and financial resources))
- Lack of self-development (how can I perform better/ do more at a higher quality with more thought etc.)
The thing that I didn’t get into though is the power of that goal setting in the first instance. The power that, if you’re doing all that you can to the best of your ability, will ensure you’re ultimately successful. That takes a bit of a leap of faith……
Just Seven Things 