We are working on Big Things this year with all my clients. The energy of stepping up and retaining in is rife and dazzling.
Big Things need Big Ideas to bring them to life. Here's what's on the table for captains of industry, mavens of business, wizards of enterprise. These are the folks who are going Boundless – achieving more with less struggle. They are busting blocks, bridging gaps, and sailing past the headland to wild seas beyond. These are the Big Ideas they are using to keep them steady through turbulence.
Team Compass
Now more than ever businesses need a solid Team Compass to guide their focus and their effort. We need a solid and resonant purpose that moves beyond punching time sheets and word processing. We need to feel useful and part of something larger and better and useful for the planet. Make work mean something.
A Team Compass has four points:
• North: values - what we care about
• East: purpose – who we serve
• South: qualities – how we behave
• West: results – what we do for the people we serve
Boundless teams use their compass to get them through the toughest of days, the darkest of challenges. They refer to it in their team meetings. They use it to formulate strategy. They print it on their coffee mugs.
Blocks
Boundless teams and leaders are ferocious in their scrutiny of what gets in their way. They scrub the decks cleaning away clunky systems, duplication, and waste of all sorts. They flatten hierarchies and streamline process. They are vigilant about the perils of the status quo leading them blindly in to the doldrums. They are ruthless with sacred cows that do nothing but lumber along and take up space.
They look for their own internal blocks as well. They scrutinise beliefs and assumptions that keep them lazy and complacent. They are mindful of mutiny and the lessons that come with it – of leadership gone astray, of decisions made without enough rigor.
They are nimble sailors, adjusting sails quickly to anticipating conditions.
Gaps
Boundless teams know where they are heading and see the gap ahead. They are rigid in their self-assessment and are honest about the skills that lack and the capacities they need to hone. They eat humility pancakes for breakfast and knuckle down to do the work that matters. They ask questions. They seek help. They explore perspectives. They read extensively. They embrace feedback. They journal to capture lessons. They journal to interrogate thinking.
They are not alone. They know that more heads give more value. They distil wisdom from the experience of others and invite contradiction to help sharpen their thinking. They are committed to excuse free living. They practice open hearted presence. They look after themselves very well so there is more of themselves to give.
Big Ideas come to life with small actions, taken daily.
What action can you take daily to move you toward the future you want to claim? Do you have your Team Compass at the ready? Are you cleaning up blocks? Are you bridging gaps? Are you seeking support?
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