Quantify your Reason, Impact and Capability
Often the prescribed antidote we’re told to move forward is by getting started and there is truth in this statement, and in this article I’d like to dive a little deeper into examples of what some immediate outcomes might look like.
First possibility, we get started and we’re actively getting closer to where we want to go, a couple of hurdles here and there but we find our steady flow.
Second possibility, we get started with a burst of productivity ticking off a list of quick wins. However, we soon find ourselves facing the inevitable larger question or hurdle at hand that might be daunting in terms of what is required to keep this progress going long term. This potentially then puts a dent in our immediate progress and might cause us to park the project/goal for another day, or slowly lose interest.
Third possibility, we don’t begin ticking off the list of quick wins as we immediately look at the mountain of work ahead of us and deem it too difficult to manage and stop before we get started, post-initial burst of motivation which got us thinking about this goal in the first place.
Ideally we quickly find our feet and start pacing forward managing both our short and long term goals hand in hand, providing the best possible outcome. However, I have a feeling that the second and third possibilities can be quite common experiences. Now, this article will not be sharing a quick fix solution, as most of the time there really isn’t such a thing as ‘quick fix’ without a bit of thought or preparation having gone into it first.
Nevertheless, what I did want to share was a recent podcast I listened to about negotiating where guest speaker David Meltzer mentioned several points which he prepares before entering a negotiation situation with clients, three which stood out in particular. Why am I sharing this? Well, I would like us to consider the idea that we are continuously negotiating with ourselves consciously or subconsciously on a daily basis which ultimately leads to us doing or not doing. David mentioned the three following points:
David mentioned the following: (my notes in parenthesis)
1. Quantify the reasons they (you) should do this for them (yourself).
2. Quantify the impact it’s going to have for them (yourself).
3. Quantify the capabilities we have in order to provide the value.
After hearing this I recognized the pre-meditative value of these three questions and interpreted them to cover three vital areas of understanding decision-making in relation to others and ourselves: Reasons = internal, Impact = external and Capabilities = ability, or the potential ability.
Now coming back to where we started off. The best way to move forward is by getting started. From here on out I would encourage that the best way to move forward, regardless of which of the three possibilities you relate most to is to make sure you reflect on the three following questions David has just asked. What are the real reasons you want/need to do this, what impact will follow? What abilities do I have, or better yet what potential resources (friends, colleagues, books, research etc) and options might I have if I look a bit further. I would recommend this reflection in relation to personal goals which you get to determine if they go ahead or not and perhaps goals which you deem slightly more challenging or long-term. As we all know, roadblocks will inevitably appear along our growth, internal or external, and usually it helps us to know why we decided to get started in the first place.
If you found this article interesting please comment, share or send me a message. If you’re curious about diving a little deeper on any personal goals or challenging circumstances, let’s talk. Together we’ll explore your reasons, the impact and your capabilities, perhaps we might uncover a blind spot or a new perspective.
