Now that we’re over the worst of the pandemic (well, in New Zealand anyway) it’s important to start to look to the future. Whether you’re in business for yourself, part of a team, or leading a team, creating a compelling future is vital for getting up and running after a significant change. Whenever I need to create a new direction I always return to a tried and tested formula; I call it the R.I.D.E. formula and, even though it’s simple to implement, it’s very effective for getting going again. Here’s how it works…
R – Reflect. Reflecting on the past is the first important step. How can we know where we want to go if we don’t reflect on where we’ve come from? A useful tool to help with this is the highs and lows tool. Draw a “time line” across the middle of a page. Now, think back on the last year or so and chart the highs (above the line) and the lows (below the line) as they occurred. For the lows, think
about what you have learned from that experience – that’s were your power lies; not in the events but in the learnings from those events.
I – Imagine. Now is the time to turn your attention to the future. Set aside a moment during a quite evening, pour yourself a glass of wine and start brainstorming what the perfect future would look like; imagine what your future would look like if you could not fail. Create it in as much detail as you possibly can. Go crazy! Now, let these ideas percolate for a while. Sometimes I put my ideas aside for a day or two and let them bounce around in my mind before coming back to this exercise. The final step is to create a statement that defines your future self, your future team, or your future business. As an example, my vision (purpose) for Results Coaching is to “Work with organisations, teams and individuals to enhance their leadership and performance capability”. My personal vision is to “Serve others and help them achieve more than they thought possible for themselves”. What’s your vision?
D – Design. Depending on your focus, the next step is to start to design that life, that business, or that team. Ask yourself, what are the Big Hairy Audacious Goals (BHAGs) I need to put in place to achieve the vision I’ve created for myself. Don’t worry about the details at this point. Be bold! They should be a real stretch – you may not even know how to, or believe you can, achieve them. If you get this feeling, you’re on the money. A good number of BHAGs for a 6 – 18 month period is between 3 and 4. When you have them, double check that they align back to your vision – if you achieve these will you be closer or further away? For each of your BHAGs start breaking them down into smaller goals by using the SMART formula. Each small goal needs to be Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, and Time bound. These are the small steps you can action that will bring you closer and closer to achieving your BHAG… to achieving your vision.
E – Execute. Lastly, we’ve got to put our plan into action! Put it somewhere where you can view it everyday. Schedule in those smaller tasks that need to be performed to accomplish your SMART goals. Every time you do this you are taking one small step in the right direction. Another useful strategy, although scary, is to share you goals with people you trust – put yourself out there and ask them to hold you to account. This is what I did when I was writing my book. I posted on LinkedIn asking people to ask me how my writing was coming along. After a few sheepish conversations it motivated me to get cracking again. You’ve got to take action… consistently!
If you’d like to know more about how to achieve more in life or business, or if you’d like to explore how coaching can help you become a better leader (of others or yourself!), or even if you’re just generally curious about what professional coaching can offer you, please contact us at any time for a free consultation.
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