Do you ever miss the good old school days when you made a list of supplies you needed to function in class? I realized recently I miss making that list in the fall. So I decided I’d resume making one every September anyway, even though my nest is empty and I’m not technically in school. My new school supplies list, however, does not include a protractor or backpack! It focuses on my intellectual business supplies and it has two columns. One is headed “Need to Learn” and the other is headed “Where to Find it.”
I have to admit that at first I thought the new list would be a light and somewhat nostalgic exercise. But it turned out to fit what I have termed in my consulting business a 3D process, for:
· Depth;
· Direction;
· Definition.
Depth is the innermost part of anything, and I discovered many of my desired intellectual supplies required substantial depth. That takes a different kind of energy, but the benefit is worth it. This included taking steps toward succession planning and rediscovering other activities I enjoy but rarely find time to do.
Direction is the course or line along which something moves. That definition seems obvious, but it is easy to lose sight of how our business course is really moving. Are we moving toward a destination we identified clearly, or have we gotten into a habit of simply taking the business as it comes? It’s one thing to choose a circuitous course, but what if we have simply failed to notice that we’ve drifted off-course?
Definition is the determination of a decision. Without definition, decisions don’t get made, they happen by default. Some are good or even great, and some are just plain awful. We always need to learn how to define our decision criteria and review it regularly.
You might also find that your business “School Supplies List” turns out to be a valuable exercise that brings insightful surprises and an interesting focus about growing or redirecting your business activities. Allow yourself, also, to identify new things you want to learn about your existing clients. One new thing I have begun to do as a result of this process, is that when I call my clients on their birthdays, I ask them what they are most proud of in the last year. It has been much more valuable than what used to be “Happy Birthday chit chat.” Acknowledging something they are proud of brings out their human assets – the relationships or talents they feel good about. That positive focus can be the best birthday gift they get.
Enjoy the 3D formula for your back-to-school list and preparation for your academic year:
Depth + Direction + Definition = Destination
You might just love the ride a little bit more, and appreciate where it takes you!