Being “in” the day-to-day prevents us from seeing the greater truth, the overall vision – what is really going on for us. This happens to both individuals and teams. Being blinded in our “stuff” prevents us from being able to become strategic and thus can slow or halt our progress towards our goals.
There are some structures you can put in place to help catch yourself from going too far down into a hole.
1. Define the Image
If you had to describe in an image or metaphor what is going on for you, your team or the work right now – what would that look like? Examples include a tug of war, a tornado or sitting by the lake in summer. Really take a moment to think of a goal you are going after now. What is the first image that comes to mind? What does it mean to you? Is that where you want it to be? Ask your team at the start of status meetings what their images are and what they mean to them. Find out where they want to be by the end of the meeting or as they jump into the upcoming week. * Note: Never assume that you understand what their image means to them. Always check for clarification. I have found for some tug of war is fun for them.
2. Listen to Your Body
Our bodies will always be the first signal that something is on or off track. For instance, when I am stressed it comes out in my stomach or via clenching my teeth. If I have acid reflex or I find I’m grinding my teeth at night I know there is something I should pay attention to in my day-to-day. If I feel like I have popcorn inside of me, ready to just bubble over – I know I am on my path. Having energy versus feeling drained speaks volumes for the track I am on. In team meetings you will have the “gut” feeling about something. Listen to your body, it knows what is going on before our brains can process what is really happening.
3. Look at Your Goals for This Week, Month or Year
Where are you? What is getting taken care of and what has fallen off of the plate? Realign yourself and the team to the goals. What areas of focus need to be set or redesigned? Book monthly check-ins or just add it to your status meetings. Ten minutes is all you need to train yourself and then train them to consider the bigger vision. Over time, it will be a natural addition.
This month I challenge you to give these a try. I am curious to hear how “on track” you remain.