Inside The Edge
About
The Featured Article
| Answering the Question: Where do you want to be in five years? |
|
For some it is a question that excites and motivates. Yet, for others, the question creates discomfort and anxiety. For everyone, the ability to answer the question clearly and concisely is critical for achieving their potential. The answer lies in our ability to set goals. When a prospective employer or your boss asks you, "So where do you see yourself in five years?", when you answer with clarity and comfort you instill a great feeling of confidence. This person is going somewhere and it shows. When you hesitate and stumble about, 'Well, I am not really sure and I really just want to see what options open up and stay flexible", the impact is quite different. It raises more questions - and not positive ones. The inability to articulate where you want to be and what you want to be doing creates a sense of uncertainty - not confidence. So, easy enough - have goals. Goals are much discussed and very familiar - but not well done in reality. Setting goals is always on someone's task list - it is simple but not easy. It seems that setting clear goals is not a natural ability. In our work with many highly ambitious and assertive achievers, we generally find that they are challenged to answer the question. There are explanations of circumstances but mostly a lack of definite goals. Is this unusual? Actually, a study completed for Harvard Business School graduates (MacCormack's "What They Don't Teach You at Harvard Business") found that only about 3% had clear and written goals! About 6% had thoughts about what they wanted and the astounding balance of more than 90% of HBR graduates simply drifted along. Sometimes the drifting can take you to great places and achievements although more than likely it does not. Although setting goals is not a natural ability it can be developed and made a habit that leads to great success. Goals increase your confidence (and the confidence of others in you), develop your competence (as you learn and grow), and boost your motivation (there is nothing better than getting up in the morning with a clear purpose). The greatest benefit of developing the habit of setting goals is that you can create your own future. It is a decision to make - that you are responsible for where you will be and what you will be doing. Once you take that ownership you can visualize your future and then work back as to what you need to do to put yourself in position to realize your vision. One tremendous benefit of setting goals and defining your own future is that you move your locus of control internally. Having an internal locus of control means that we are in the driver's seat - setting the direction and taking the actions to achieve our future vision. When we exist with an external locus of control we are simply saying that we will let others decide what will happen to us - let the world around us decide what we deserve and should get. We blame the world for what we don't have and the circumstances that got in our way. A much greater sense of motivation and engagement results from an internal locus of control - you are charged by being in charge. The absolutely wonderful truth is that there is no limit to the potential you have - if you take charge and work for it. Accepting responsibility for your future - not blaming or making excuses - will put you on the road to achieving what you deserve.
"Most people don't lead their lives, they accept their lives." John Kotter, Harvard Business School Goals are more than a destination - they are a way to influence the direction of your life, your journey. MacCormack's research showed that only 3% of graduates had clear, written goals and also showed that those that did achieved much more than the other 97% (based on many different dimensions of success). Why do people struggle with setting goals? Goals mean you have to move forward. Once defined, you need to commit to taking action and fear of failure can keep you back. The positive outcome of failure is that you learn what works and what doesn't and change to get it right next time. Making mistakes can be a blessing as it provides invaluable experience in achieving success. Sometimes you don't end up where you intended with your goal but you achieve a "strategic by-product" that could be even better than what you originally envisioned. Even more fundamental is that although you may not achieve your goal fully maybe you get 60% of where you wanted to be - which is probably 60% further than you would have gotten without goals. You can't fully respond to the future without goals. Goals tell you what you need to learn, they are completely customized to you (they really are all about you), they identify your strengths, and constantly evolve with you. Goals support you to take charge of your life and provide a lifelong method of learning and growth. There is a direct relationship between the clarity of your goals and what you achieve in your life. So, what will your life look like in five years?
As you gain the habit of setting and following through on your goals you will learn how to remove the roadblocks, set the right actions, measure your progress to see the positive focus, and manage your time, energy, and efforts to your best advantage. The key to goal setting is that you create your own future - you set up what works for you and move to where you want to be.
"A human being's greatest need is the sense of meaning and purpose in life" Viktor Frankl
Goals provide meaning and purpose. They inspire you to achieve your potential and contribute your best. When someone asks you that question, "Where do you see yourself in five years?", you can answer crisply, clearly, and confidently so they think, "Now there is someone going places." |