The intention grew from the bad seeds sowed by poor leadership. A slow burn in my career came from being forced to own the impression and perceptions that made up my skills and image within the company. Some days, it seemed like I was in a tug of a war of contrasting feedback from multiple leaders. The result was never being certain of the agenda, owner, and the destruction of self-confidence.
Identifying the opportunity for better direction
Who determines the goals each person sets? The first question is about what works and what does not. Often, organizations set goals for departments and teams, and leaders fall in line working towards them. Think about how often the goal is simply achieving a result. The miss is talking about what needs to be developed to create the ability to consistently and or replicate the result. Without these actions, how can it really support sustainability?
The purpose of work is often misaligned. How motivating can it be to watch a brand achieve more revenue? Of course, the idea of how it trickles down to each employee is not missed with the basic concepts of motivation. However, when each person’s direct motivation and goal is not viewed and supported, it is quickly passed by or moved to the back of the priority list. In organizations, this often sounds like, “It’s not your time,” or “Timing was poor.”
Who holds the strings? Accountability is a word that is misplaced in organizations. It drives an imbalance that is almost always present in organizational justice. When goals and motivation only serve one side of the relationship, then accountability is not about ownership. Ownership is a principle and competency that serves all involved. What does the feedback sound like when the goals are unmet without clarity? What it looks like is likely a stalled career and work seasonality that becomes a song stuck on repeat.
Where I saw it in my career
Like many, I made my first steps based on not being stuck doing what I hated and making more money. I worked hard and tried to apply feedback when I got it. As opportunities presented themselves, I worked to be agile enough to take advantage. From 2004 to 2008, I held five positions and worked in three different states. By 2012, I had made another move, navigating a forced move and laying off my current team. I also applied for promotion three times without any actionable feedback beyond more exposure.
I remember asking myself, “What am I doing to myself and my family?” Who was in the driver’s seat of my career and life? The career goals I had set were the ones I had been told to develop, often moving too fast to think about how it served me. Most of my decisions were made on staying employed more than on progression; even worse, none were towards owning my path. However, I had recently been enticed by a senior leadership program where I was part of the inaugural cohort- an excellent opportunity for exposure.
Where is your development energy-focused
Skills are far more critical to the individual than competencies. Organizations spend a lot of money on identifying, developing, and assessing the subjectivity of competencies. Skills often come down to what can be accomplished and with what level of proficiency or expertise. The measurables can be trended and benchmarked to create something that is traditionally much more tangible. Organizations struggle to ensure leaders share the same abilities and skills they must develop to support true sustainability.
Do not develop the skills to get the job done. Develop the skills that support personal growth and direction. It is critical to sell the skills that are personally valued. Personally valued skills are held onto with a much tighter grip and are sold at a higher cost. Intention goes beyond what needs to get done tomorrow and is more about the path of long-term success, a genuine and authentic journey.
TIP: Look at your organization’s resources that support development beyond the day-to-day job. Taking advantage of tuition reimbursement, development sites, and free workshops is a personal investment, a great way to increase total compensation, and take ownership of personal knowledge capital.
What it is not
It is essential to start by saying that intention is not about defiance or always being the devil’s advocate. The effort is not about selfishness or only focusing on personal success and growth. Intention goes beyond preparation; execution and follow-through are needed to achieve a true level of intention.
The slow burn becomes a firestorm
All the effort and results still couldn’t get me promoted. I attended their programs, moved to the challenging site, and created results unlike my predecessors and peers. The point is not from a victim standpoint but more the awareness of where I stand, none the richer, still missing the internal drive and direction to get me where I want to go.
It took years to build up a path. The beginning was deciding to invest in myself and complete my education, and the next was working to develop my professional network. I had missed the community and the support and legacy that it offers, so I started to get involved in the world I lived in as myself versus a member of a brand, and for the first time, I picked a career path based on desire versus need.
The basics of intention: ownership and follow-through
Accountability must grow beyond compliance and the desire to be a good soldier. Personal ownership requires each person to be their own general. It starts with considering daily success and how to orchestrate it. It should evolve into what would make life richer, what would I enjoy doing each day, even if it is about more money -intention is the self-awareness and action to ensure the result. Leveling up requires developing self-awareness to consider where additional intention efforts can yield better results, down to each action or conversation. Another small step is to consider the record or chain of evidence being created and kept. Take notes and journal to have a better recollection or post-mortem.
Develop follow-through that is about personal commitment and growing beyond the needs and tasks of others. The first step is getting good at showing up and delivering when asked; it is the basics. Often, it is about understanding how things chain together or support each other. Understanding connections and developing initial skills to be resourceful to accomplish something is critical. However, it is more difficult when daily actions serve your own path, and the accountability has fully transitioned to ownership. When something goes wrong, it goes beyond fault. Who is going to fix it, and how?
Actions to support intention:
- Create a plan (Daily, weekly, long-term)
- Set personal goals towards personal motivation – what do you want it to look like five years from now?
- Document and journal – set the plan and review the results (trial and error is essential)
- Build a personal, professional network (school, community, professional work groups)
- Learn to reward yourself
How can the lab support you:
- Executive & business coaching – we can help with goals and creating the path
- We offer all kinds of self-development and assessments for personal and organizational growth
- Sign up for one of our workshops