Where are you going and how can I help you get there? April 19, 2007
Posted by impassioned in Careers, Communication, Leadership, Self-improvement, Talent Management.trackback
Catching up on some sources of inspiration today, I read a post by Rosa Say on her site Managing with Aloha. Rosa was relating the tale of fellow conspirator Pete Aldin who’s life was changed when a manager asked him what his 5 year plan was and he realised he didn’t have one.
It got me wondering – how many people truly have a 5 year vision? For most of us, surviving day to day and perhaps looking ahead 6-12 months is an achievement. We rely on instinct and intuition to help us make decisions. Decisions that in hindsight appear like they were part of a master plan but in reality were ‘fly by the seat of our pants’ reactions. Life races past so fast that we barely have time to avoid that hole in the road ahead let alone wonder where we want to be in 5 years time. That’s not to say a manager shouldn’t ask. But perhaps the real question is “what are you aspiring towards and how can I help you get there?”.
If you are a parent, you may well know the sensation of having influence over emerging mindsets for a very short period of time. My goal as a parent is to provide an environment where my son and daughter can grow to be responsible, hard working, trustworthy, dependable, creative and all round fabulous human beings. My measure of success as a parent and as a human being is the extent to which I can look at each of my children when they reach maturity and be proud of who they have become thanks in some small part to my influence. Will I help them to make good decisions? Will I help them discover their strengths? Will I feel like they have fully explored their talents?
I feel strongly that the same is a true measure of a manager. Can you look at your current and past direct reports and gain a sense of pride for all that they have accomplished? Can you ask them – what sort of person do you wish to become and how can I help you to get there? Rosa asks it so eloquently when she says…
What is the best possible life the work you do here could create for you?
It doesn’t have to be a 5 year plan. It could be a 6 month or 18 month time-frame. It may even be ‘right here, right now’. “What would make today, this week, this month, this year a worthwhile use of your time?” If you can help your direct reports to really express what meaning they want to take from their life’s work and then help them achieve it… that will make for a truly impassioned workforce!
What do you think? Do you have a 5 year plan?
Aloha Gabriella, thank you for adding to this discussion so beautifully!
As I read this, it happens to be my son’s twentieth birthday, and so you’ve truly struck a chord with me in sharing your parenting thoughts. I admit to not being totally objective about this, but I’d say he is a pretty fabulous human being – thank goodness I had others help me raise him that way because they had the same generous spirit you do, asking, how can I help?