As many leaders seek to make meaningful change in 2020, it’s important to think about change as an art and not a science. Why do I say that? Well, in this day and age, we’re bombarded with data and advice that can actually leave many of us confused on where to start.
The first thing to remember is that we’re all unique with different strengths and strategies that work best for each of us. Following someone else’s process might work for a while, but eventually we fall back into our way of doing things. My advice here is to go with it; do what you do best.
The next thing to acknowledge is that most of us do a really bad job of prioritizing. You know the drill; we write a list and start working to check things off the list. Seeking to make progress, we tackle the easy things first and before you know it all the important stuff is still on the list.
So, here is a way to get focused and work on what really matters. Ask yourself, “If everything could go as well as it possibly could, what would change?” The key words here are “possibly could”. Answering this question will keep you grounded in what you know you can achieve while also stretching you to think of what success looks like.
Once you have the vision of what you’d like to change, now it’s time to set your priorities to make it happen. This is where the list making problem can creep back in so skip the long lists and make a really short one. Think about the two most singular things you should start and stop doing now. Instead of starting at the bottom of the list checking off the easy stuff, skip right to the big stuff.
As a recruiter and coach, I work with some really talented people, and you’d be surprised by how many great leaders have figured this out. When I ask them about how they’ve made big changes in their careers, it usually boils down to clarity, focus, and passion.
So, ask yourself what change you want to make, and get focused on the two things you can start and stop doing right now to make it happen. You’ll be surprised by the power and simplicity of the approach, and you won’t have to think twice about checking things off the list.