Have you ever wondered why ‘other’ people achieve what they want while you struggle to get things going? What is it that they are doing that you’re not?
You’re just as smart, if not smarter. You’re just as talented. It can be extremely frustrating until you realize the 3 behaviors successful business owners, professionals and leaders demonstrate that enable them to get what they want faster, better and with less effort.
A couple of days ago I conducted a breakout session at the 2nd Annual Science Empowerment Movement (SEM) Conference in San Francisco. In 60 minutes, I led the group through an exploration of how context can liberate or limit you from achieving what you desire.
Because I like to get to know my audience, I asked the 40 people to introduce themselves and say why they were here. The responses fell into two categories. One group didn’t know what they want. So attending the conference was a way of getting clarity. The other group knew what they want but weren’t quite sure how to get there.
Sound familiar?
If you engage in information marketing or want to begin sharing your message with the world, then these three behaviors help you to get things going, stay on track and move closer to where you are headed. These are the same behaviors that successful individuals, be it professionals, business owners and leaders, demonstrate. Here’s what I advised my workshop participants to exhibit in their scientific pursuits.
The first behavior: Ask Better Questions.
Most of the time you won’t know what you don’t know. And you can’t possibly have all the information you need to move forward. People who know what they want often don’t achieve it because they don’t ask questions. They let statements such as “i don’t know how to get there” to derail their success instead of asking, “how do I get there?” When you ask a question, your brain automatically responds by searching for the answer. Try it right now. Ask yourself a question and notice what happens.
A better question than the one above, is “what information is needed?” Notice that the question doesn’t put the burden for the solution on yourself. Once you’ve identified your information needs, an even better question is “who might have this information?” Are you following my line of questioning?
Do you think the U.S. Fortune 100 CEOs have all the answers? No. They are gainfully employed because they ask better questions of their lead team in order to exhibit the next behavior.
The second behavior: Make Better Decisions
Making better decisions involves three parts. The first is time-bound information gathering. You have a finite time before circumstances compel you to make a decision. Then you formulate possible options based on existing information. Finally you assess risk and tradeoffs i.e. the consequences of your various options. With practice all of us are capable of making better decisions. The decision you make is only as good as the information that you have and your ability to calculate risk and assess tradeoffs. Taking no action is a decision. The question for you is whether there is a better decision than inaction. In the spirit of asking better questions, here’s one for you: “Are there better choices you could be making right now to change or accelerate your results?”
The third behavior: Take Outcome-focused Action
Many people take lots of action with little or no results. Their days are filled with activity not accomplishments. Ever heard a colleague say, “I’m busy?” Just taking action to get things going is an important first step. However, at some point, you must target your actions in order to maximize your efforts and achieve your desired outcomes. First, determine what you want to accomplish. Then ask yourself, “Is this next action going to move me closer to where I am headed?” When you align your behaviors with your desired outcomes, you will achieve more of what you want faster. Doing the same things while expecting different results is the definition of insanity. Doing aligned things and expecting desired outcomes yields success. Take outcome-focused action now to change and accelerate your results.
And now, ask yourself a better question such as what can you do right now to change your results?
Make a decision to change your behavior in order to change your results.
Take outcome-focused action to make it happen.
Do it now.
