Sixty days ago, you got a vision. Did you also get the answer to “how am I going to get there”?
Whoops.
Many people start strong on New Year’s Day, but are quietly off track within weeks. By Spring, they’re grasping at straws.
Don’t feel embarrassed – just Make The Turn. “Make the turn” refers to the changes we need to make on the road of life, and it will be our series for March.
Los Angeles freeways give you plenty of warning about your exit. Large signs with reflective lettering start at the 2 mile mark. Then a mile. Then a half-mile. But all those warnings don’t work if you’re chit-chatting with your passenger, checking your phone, or messing with a music playlist.
Plain and simple, you need to pay attention.
Do you think the ability to focus is automatic? Listen to what Steve Jobs’ said about Apple’s no-nonsense approach: “So what we do every Monday is we review the whole business. We look at what we sold the week before. We look at every single product under development, products we’re having trouble with, products where the demand is larger than we can make. All the stuff in development, we review. And we do it every single week.”
Now make that quote personal. If you were in a review with Steve Jobs, could you describe the steps you took toward your intentions last week?
It turns out paying attention might be a little harder than it sounds!
This is what happened for Gillian. She quickly moved at Kraft Heinz from an entry-level Marketing Manager job to Brand Manager to Category Head. That’s why the feedback at her 6-month review caught her off guard.
“Gillian, everyone loves working with you – from the people who report to you to other Category leads. It’s just that…now that you have your feet wet, I wanted to talk with you about some soft spots,” Carol said.
Gillian stopped smiling.
“Oh, it’s nothing bad,” Carol said, jumping in. “It’s just that we like to promote from within. We want to have a long relationship with you. You’re terrific with people on a one-on-one basis. However, I’ve noticed that you haven’t taken any of the opportunities to present at the All Hands Meetings.”
Gillian stammered. “To tell you the truth, I…I…I don’t really love presenting.”
“I get it – it’s not my favorite thing either,” Carol said. “But avoidance isn’t an option. At Kraft Heinz, we think of presenting as a competency. Work with a coach. Join Toastmasters. But do something.”
Carol closed her computer and looked back at Gillian. “If you don’t, you’ll hit a glass ceiling in your career. One that you created.”
Planning isn’t boring. It’s about breaking big ideas down into achievable, sustainable bite size pieces.
This week, something is asking for your attention. You may need to learn a skill like Gillian. Or you might just need to put in a little care to get even better at what you’re already doing.
Your intentions are waiting. How are you going to get there?