Part 6: The Goal

Carl decided to commit himself to learning what it takes to build a robust Success Framework, by beginning with the end in mind. 

And his first test of this his newfound knowledge was his goal of becoming the Director of Technology. He had four months before Tony retired.

The company, however, was shooting to fill that position much sooner to allow a smooth transition before Tony departed. So Carl did not have four months. Time was of the essence.

A Director Level position carried a significant raise for Carl:

  1. $50k total compensation when you factor in salary increases and eligibility for leadership bonuses.  
  2. It also will give Carl the recognition within the company he felt he deserved.
  3. Over time he expected it would also lead to better control over his time and energy.
  4. Instead of the usual go, go, go he will lead and direct others to make a more significant impact.

Carl is a fast learner, and he’s coachable. He quickly grasped the insights from the simple Inside First Strategies we discussed. His confidence and excite went up a notch, and he was ready to go after his Goal (again).

But four months was right around the corner. We had to invest our time wisely.

I gave Carl an overview of my Success Framework. Here are the elements of the framework that I shared with Carl and where we chose to focus.

  1. Get crystal clear on the destination you are targeting.
  2. Identify and drill into what matters most to you in life (first) and then career (second) —some people may call these core values–
    • Money
    • Freedom
    • Recognition
    • Peace of Mind
    • Fulfillment, etc.
  3. Answer this: Is #1 (your target Destination) Congruent with #2 (the things that matter most to you in your life and career)? 
    • If No then Proceed No Further:
      • It means your Target Destination is wrong and will lead you further away from what matters most to you
      • Go back and redefine your destination
    • Otherwise
      • Proceed to the next steps
  4. Revalue of your Self Worth
  5. Implement the mechanism for “beginning with the end in mind”:
    • Forget about Goal Setting and Focus on Assumptions.
  6. Develop a “No” Mindset – This changes all your physical interactions, and it’s a Killer Strategy for For Salary Negotiations.

We agreed to meet at least once a week to check in on Carl’s progress and to keep him accountable. I those sessions we worked through obstacles and shared perspectives on the above outline.

Our sessions were fun. We kept things light even though we knew Carl was attempting to scale a mountain for the first time. Carl also found many additional insights and anecdotes about my transformation useful to model.

I was not sure if Carl would go the distance— follow through or quit and go back to what’s normal. A lot of people are addicted to mindless doing. It’s a habit. It scares them to spend time with themselves to think about the life they want. It’s easier to implement the next productivity technique or sit in a class to get a cert or MBA, pat yourself on the back and then go back to mindless grinding—remember that housefly— after receiving a little bump in money or title.

I remember the struggles I had trying to figure this out all by myself. So it won’t be a shocker if Carl isn’t ready yet, and he quits. I’ll be disappointed but not a shock. 

Three weeks in Carl had a clear sense of where we wanted to take his life and career. He kept his head down and diligently followed the steps and kept every session. 

After he hit that first milestone after three weeks, Carl was even more cheerful than I could remember. I started to see the confidence in his walk and hear more excitement in his voice.

He told me the exercises we worked on was helping him to see his destination. And for the first time, he can more naturally begin to see himself in the Director role.

We continued to press forward, and everything was going smoothly. Then as is typical of life, something happened that put Carl’s dream in serious jeopardy.

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