In my former career, I had the pleasure of working for a very talented salesman. In fact, this man was so talented the company we both worked for created a sales training program based upon a book this man wrote. The book had lots of valuable gems. My favorite was a “magic” question that sales people were instructed to ask to gain insightful knowledge of their customer’s business and their customer’s true concerns. The magic question, elicited very interesting responses. I found that it did provide insight into the customer’s business. However, what I found more interesting was that is uncovered whether or not the customer had a plan.
The question seemed basic, “What few things must go absolutely right in the next few months for the next few months to be a success” But the responses were amazing.
The customers with a plan loved the magic question. Their answers contained specific-concrete-objectives, goals, and metrics. The energy and excitement of describing what needed to go right would transform the conversation. Suddenly instead of being on a sales call you were on dream building call. Cool stuff!
In contrast, for those without a plan it was the most painful question you could inflict on them. Often the customer would spend an uncomfortable amount of time staring back at you like a deer in the headlights. The stare of horror was generally followed by a meandering diatribe with no clear message, no logical sequence, and no actionable items. The answer frequently felt like death by a thousand paper cuts as the customer attempted a stream of consciousness response not appropriate for anyone ears but their own as he/she attempted to work through in their own minds what success might actually look like. Just as the question filled the room with excitement for those with a plan, it just as quickly deflated the room of any energy if the customer did not have a plan.
The stark contrast between the two types of responses was as different as night and day and yet the only variable was one customer had a plan and one did not. Having a plan in place is a critical step toward achieving success in any setting as it provides the WHAT and the WHY- what do you want to accomplish and why do you want to accomplish it. Many people get hung up on the how and therefore skip the plan. The how is determined day by day with your action items. But, you won’t know the how until you know the WHAT and the WHY- i.e. the plan. Just like my sales customers who were either energized by the opportunity to discuss their plan or deflated by the realization that they did not have one, the same is true for each and every one of us for anything we want to accomplish.
I meet plenty of high-level professionals who are going through the motions, with no plan for business success. This phenomenon seems to be worse with women-particularly Moms. I see a lot of working Moms who have traded a plan for business success for day-to-day survival. I understand the importance of day-to-day survival, particularly in the early days; survival may be all we are capable of. But if you remain in a state of survival your career is likely to stagnate. Without a plan, the Mommy guilt of leaving little ones at home, the economy, the horrific boss, the lay off, the illness, the … (fill in the blank with any other external circumstance you can imagine), can derail your desire and ability to move up the ladder. If the ladder is no longer the golden ring, then you need a plan to reach the newly defined golden ring. Either way, YOU NEED A PLAN or the weight of day to day responsibilities will crush your spirit slowly like death by a thousand paper cuts leaving you on a meandering path with no clear path, no logical sequence, and no action items (sound familiar?)
In order to achieve success, we have to have a plan. Think about every success you have had-there was a plan. If you play sports, you knew the rules of the game and what it took to win. You may have had a specific conquest you were after- a state championship, etc. In school, you knew you needed a certain grade to advance to the next level and you had a plan for how much schooling you wanted/needed to achieve your desired career. A diet-you had to know what you were trying to lose- a certain number of pounds, a certain % of body fat, or even fit into the dress you bought 6 months prior. The same holds true for every facet or our lives and our businesses.
My challenge to every Powerful Lady reading this blog is to spend the time to think about what you are really after, what is your golden ring. Then, create a plan to reach it. Don’t get caught up in the how. The how will be a series of small action steps but you won’t know if you are stepping in the right direction until you know the plan. We each get one life, are you living yours on purpose with a plan for success or are you in a state of constant reaction to whatever life throws your way? I vote for having a plan!
About Jonelle- Jonelle Vold is a business coach passionate about success. A mother of twins, former Assistant Dean at a tier-one law school, attorney, and seasoned sales professional, Jonelle understands the challenges of high-level professionals. Her coaching philosophy is every person has the ability to achieve greatness by cracking their own personal codes and living with intention. You can reach Jonelle at jonellevold@me.com, 520-225-9053, or www.coachhonoree.com/jonelle
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