How to apply the #1 business trick that successful companies swear by - to your own life
Successful companies do not get their success “by chance”.
They don’t spend all of their time creating vision boards, setting intentions and repeating powerful mantras every day, hoping that the change they desire is coming their way effortlessly.
No.
Successful companies have a mission. They have a strategy. They set goals. And they create systems to get there.
Chances are that you know exactly what I am talking about, because you are part of the system that makes your employer have a successful, profitable business.
Many of my clients are founders, COOs, (Senior) Directors, Managers or ambitious professionals. They know how to reach goals, hit deadlines and get shit done.
But when it comes to their personal priorities, they can sometimes get lost. Their self-doubt creeps in, or they feel they don’t have the time to spend on their own priorities. They remain in the dreaming-, wishing- or hoping-phase, while they struggle to keep all the balls in the air.
Such a shame. But also so normal.
Maybe you even recognize it.
Without a clear structure, your inner demons (perfectionist, pusher, critic) get a lot of space to express themselves. Leading to more self-doubt and overwhelm.
Of course, addressing your inner demons head on is incredibly useful ánd necessary, and I always work through the inner critics with all of my clients. This blog, though, is about creating structure so they get less space to show up.
I’ll introduce you to a proven goal-setting method that you can apply to your own life-goals so that they can start become reality.
It all starts with WHY
Simon Sinek codified why some leaders and organizations are able to inspire, and why others don’t. In his “Golden Circle”, he emphasizes that we should always start with our Why. This question cuts right to the core.
It forces you to answer probably the most difficult or confrontational question there is around: ”Why do you exist?”
”WHY?”
Ok, Sorry.
I didn’t intent to guide you into an existential crisis right here and now.
Most of the time, you probably focus on your “What?” when you are thinking about the changes you want to make. Typical “What” goals are: writing a book, starting a morning routine, getting a manager position, transitioning to another field, or eliminating self-doubt.
There is nothing wrong with those “What” goals per se, but they have a major pitfall.
When you focus on a “What” goal, you need to rely on tremendous discipline and force to reach them.
What happens often, is that after some time, you lose interest and you fall back into your day-to-day tasks, leaving your personal goal unreached.
Having a “Why” goal works completely different.
It is linked to your values, your mission, your beliefs. “Why” releases emotional energy that a “What” can never do.
This is why (pun intended) I always recommend people to write their mission statement before even starting to set goals.
Mine sounds something like this: “Live and help others live with intention, not by default” or “Integrate spirituality in daily work-life for more meaning, connection and enjoyment at work”
(I say “something like this” because words will always just be symbols, trying to describe something that can’t always put into words. But hey, I keep trying.)
Coming up with your personal mission statement may sound like a daunting task.
And quite frankly, it is.
If you never took the time to intentionally choose your life and career path, and just went with the flow of what was “normal”, this “Why” may throw you off your center.
But believe me, it is the most important question you are going to ask and answer for yourself over and over.
Of course, your motivation can change over time as you enter new life phases. But that can be no excuse to not take the time to sit down and write why you think you are here right now
Your answer will actually bring you to your own core and can help the rest of your life fall into place.
Exercise 1: Start with the end in mind.
Imagine your future. And yes, we’re going to the grim imagination that you are on your deathbed. Write your own eulogy. You’ll find your “why” in there.
What do you want other people to say about you? What was your real life’s work? What do you want to leave behind? What is your legacy?
Sit down for at least 30 minutes and just write what comes out. You cannot do this exercise wrong, unless you don’t do it ;)
Now that you have a sense of your Why, setting goals towards it actually make sense. You aimed, so that you can now shoot.
The infamous goal-setting method that works
The founder of Intel, Andy Grove, developed the Objectives and Key Result (OKR) framework in the 60s.
Ever since, both large and small innovative companies swear by them. Google and Amazon use the framework religiously and OKR-software companies that help companies implement the approach multiply as we speak.
The approach is so popular because it’s simple and effective.
Objectives are the What,
the Key Results are the How.
Together, they are empty vessels that are ready to be fueled by your Why.
Without your Why, the approach is only minimally effective. You’ll still shoot and move forward, but chances are you move to the “wrong” direction.
Aim first with your Why.
Then shoot.
Hear John Doer speak about the power of OKRs when they are fueled by your Why here:
For companies, this Why is embedded in their vision and mission.
For you, your Why is your life’s mission (exercise 1).
So, how do OKRs work?
You set an inspiring objective
You define measurable key results
You come up with initiatives that move towards your key results
Let’s go.
1. Set an inspiring objective
An objective is what your want to accomplish.
A well defined objective is meaningful, inspiring and audacious. You can set these annually or even over longer periods.
Although no rocket science, there is a lot of nuance when it comes to a “right” objective. In my opinion, the key word is inspirational. You should be inspired by them. Your objective should make you fill with excitement (and maybe a little fear). It should stretch you into a new realm.
I’ll use a real life example so that the OKR process becomes clear for you.
Meet Tom.
Tom is COO of a mission-driven scale-up. His mission is to “Build leaders and organizational structures for sustainable growth & performance”. He feels this in his bones. He enters organizations and when he leaves 4 years later, he leave a legacy of great leaders that he developed and structures that are build for scale.
He wishes to be more present, though. The feedback he receives on presence is not always that great. He thinks it’s time to spend more time listening. To not be caught up in his own thoughts and emotions. His objective is to be a present leader.
And meet Sandra.
A conscious leader, coach and trainer that wants to spread her wisdom through stories. Her mission is to “Increase the consciousness of the corporate world, one leader at a time”. She has a long-held dream (and fear) to hit the stage with her life-stories to inspire people. Her objective is to speak on stage.
And yes, they both happen to love wearing red.
Exercise 2 - Set at least one personal objective
Now it’s your turn. Set a inspiring objective that is in line with your Why.
Check for yourself if it hits these marks:
✓ Meaningful - it is in line with your Why and you want to make it top-priority
✓ Inspiring - it is easy to remember and you feel excited when moving closer to the objective
✓ Audacious - it requires you to stretch yourself beyond who you are today in a significant way
2. Define measurable key results
Key results define how you want to accomplish your objective. They are specific, measurable, time-bound and “aggressive” yet realistic. Key results need to support the overall objective you’ve set. They make achieving the objective “true”.
How does this work for Tom?
Well for Tom, being a present leader is about three things.
He wants his team to feel like he really hears them. He will know when this is true if his feedback score on “presence” increases by 20%
He also knows he is more present when he meditates every morning. It’s as if that sets him up for presence and listening for the rest of the day. He therefore decides he wants to meditate every morning for 15 minutes
Presence is not only key in his work life. He wants to set an example of present leadership by also being fully present at home instead of working while prepping for dinner. He wants to log off work 4 days a week by 7pm.
For Tom, hitting these 3 key results would make him feel like he is a present leader.
And for Sandra?
Sandra wants to hit the stage with a powerful inspiring story. She knows she is successful in speaking on stage by just one clear measure:
She wants to fill a room of 100 guests and hit the stage with her inspiring story at a self-organized event in December
Exercise 3 - Set 1-3 key results for your objective
Your turn again. Set measurable key results that are the success factors of your objective being met. Check for yourself if it hits these marks:
✓ Specific and Time-bound - state plainly what needs to occur by when
✓ “Aggressive” yet Realistic - it stretches you (a lot), but is not outrageously stressful
✓ Measurable - the criteria for success is clear. You know a Yes or No when you’ve reached it.
3. Come up with initiatives (basically tasks)
Allright. You got yourself your goal now, your OKR. Now you can come up with a list of projects and tasks that are necessary for you to achieve your key results.
These initiatives can be scheduled in your calendar so that all you gotta do is complete these tasks, monitor your progress of your key results and before you know it, you’ll hit that objective!
Tom did it in this way:
And Sandra decided on her plan like this:
Exercise 4 - Come up with the initiatives that’ll get you moving to your results
Again. Your turn! Make a list of actionable tasks that you can take that you think are most important to move towards your key results. Create a hierarchy of your objective, your key results and your initiatives just like the ones for Tom and Sandra.
And don’t forget. Schedule these items in your calendar so that they’ll get done. Before you know it, your dream (objective) is reality.
Woohoo, you’re all set for action!
You now have learned a proven system that literally helps thousands of individuals, teams and organizations to structurally move towards big hairy audacious goals.
Your personal objective can now really become reality. It is no longer just a dream.
You’ve got a plan now!
I am a big proponent of structure, but not for the sake of structure itself.
Structure allows you to flow and play. Structure is like putting a fence around a playground. Children play more freely on such playgrounds because there is clarity on where to go and not go. It brings a focused playfulness.
The artwork called “your life” needs a frame too.
Let this OKR framework help you make a masterpiece of your life.
