SUCCEED BY WORKING BACKWARDS

This is an age old concept proliferated by many great thinkers. To truly succeed, you first must vision clearly how that success will look, feel, sound, taste, and smell. Then you can easily work backwards, decide how to spend your time on the planet, and make wise day-to-day decisions that will make your vision become real.

This is common sense, right? However, when it comes to making the tough choices required to live our visions, sometimes we can falter.

EXAMPLES:

Visioning a Successful Organization: Is your goal to be the world’s largest manufacturer of flea collars for small dogs, or to be the Midwest’s most profitable boutique manufacturer of specialty flea collars for dogs of all sizes? It will make a lot of difference when someone offers you a “great deal” on acquiring a top notch manufacturing facility at a steal of a price in the south of France.

Visioning a Successful New Team Member: Is it more important that your new head of sales be fun-loving and passionate about what she does, or is it more important that she understands the technical aspects of the product? Is it more important that she be strongly self-directed and self-sufficient, or is it more important that she be able to lead her sales staff effectively? Is it more important that she has strong ethical principles, or is it more important that she achieve outstanding sales goals? It will be important to know when the headhunter sends you that “perfect candidate.”

Visioning a Successful Life: Is it more important to be financially successful, or is it more important to be emotionally successful? Is it more important to spend time with the people who work for you who need your help and guidance, or is it more important to spend time with your children who need your help and guidance? Is it more important to achieve big things in life or is it more important to have fun along the way? It will make a lot of difference when you have to choose between that business dinner that can help your career dramatically and your son’s birthday celebration.

TECHNIQUES

Technique #1: Have a clear vision of success in your organization or team, and let it guide your day-to-day business decisions.

Technique #2: Have a clear vision of the ideal successful new member of your team, and compare all candidates against that template.

Technique #3: Have a clear vision of your life as a resounding success, and I recommend that you don’t miss that birthday party.

Copyright Terry "Doc" Dockery, Ph.D. All rights reserved.