by Stephanie Bickel
As we work toward re-emerging professionally and socially, the big topic of discussion will be on what you, your team, and your organization did during the pandemic. People have been changed by the circumstances of this year. How will your talk about your challenges and growth?
Prepare stories around your experiences:
1. What impressed you about your organization's reaction to the crises of 2020?
2. What impressed you about your clients or customers?
3. Who specifically impressed you with their actions?
Next, answer for yourself: Who do you want to be at year end?
Let that answer clarify your personal development focus.
1. Select personal attributes you want to strengthen
Use the list in Strength Finder to work on developing a new strength. Do you want to be a better spouse, parent, friend, daughter/son? Do you want to be healthier, happier, or physically stronger? Do you want to be more productive or present? Put the word on a mirror or wall you pass daily. Incorporate that word into your passwords. Say it out loud. Reflect on what you want to do or what you did each day to strengthen that attribute.
2. Focus on one business goal
Keep it simple. Make a project plan based on that one goal. Pull in others who can support the cause with you.
3. Come up with 30 things you want to do within the next three months.
Write them down. Cross out the ones that you do not need to do or do not want to do. Decide if you are going to do this or not. Schedule them. Make calendar appointments for when they will happen and then act on your commitment. This could be cleaning out a drawer, updating Linked In, or documenting a process.
4. Be an advocate
Who can you help? Who can you recognize publicly? People love to feel smart, popular, successful and highly principled. Encourage yourself to be more authentic, empathetic, and generous than ever before. Help people from a sincere place.
5. Celebrate progress
Use a method that works for you. What will motivate you to change? Maybe you have a checklist to see the progress. Maybe you have a jar that you put a stone into every time you demonstrate more patience or complete a workout. Visual measurements of progress and success can help a great deal.
One final reminder…be ambitious but reasonable. If you are going through this while caring for children, lower your expectations and do the best you can. That is more than enough.
So much is possible…
if we just change our thinking.
When we change our thinking,…
we change how we act.
And that is how you can transform to become a consistent and compelling force!
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