Out of 70 metrics for personal development that we measure, four
are critical. Without knowing them, you won’t know where you need to focus
to leverage your time, energy, and money.
Metric 1: Goal-outcome orientation. This metric is about setting
your priorities and maintaining that strategic focus until you achieve your outcome
by your pre-determined deadline. You’ll need realistic goals or outcomes
and the ability to defeat distractions and maintain your focus until you achieve
your outcome by the deadline.
Here are some tips to help you: Make every outcome precise, realistic,
and attached to a deadline. To create urgency, personalize the goal by tying achievement
to specific rewards: “If I achieve this goal on time, my reward will be________.”
Tie your rewards into your values for best results. Next, identify those key milestones
to measure progress and ensure you’re on the right track. Check your milestones
regularly to ensure everything will be completed by your deadline. Brainstorm
everything that could go wrong or get in your way, and build contingency plans.
Metric 2: Result-focused. This metric is about mastering how to identify the right actions that will yield you results to ensure you exceed your performance
outcomes. The first focus area is one of identification: you need to identify
and recognize which choice and action step will yield maximum impact—and
make sure you exceed your performance outcomes to get the results you’re
after.
Start by getting crystal clear on your vision and values. Then create
a decision grid to help you identify choices by key criteria like: strength, strategic,
aligns with my top values, aligns with my firm’s vision, mission and values.
Then create some feasible and high-probability tactical implementation plans.
Set deadlines and establish short-term rewards to increase urgency. Stay focused
on top priorities that can be achieved in three to six months.
Metric 3: Self-regulation. To keep your promises, you’ll need
to regulate your own behaviors by following through on your intentions with action.
Average people look to a manager to manage them. Extraordinary leaders manage
their own behaviors. They tap into the drivers that drive action. They do the
unpleasant but necessary things.
To master this metric, you’ll need to set priorities. Get in
the habit of doing the most unpleasant yet strategic actions done first, every
day. Get organized by breaking goals into key daily milestones and let these become
your metric. Set short-term consequences—such as small gains (rewards) and
loss aversion (penalties)—to reinforce you for your daily or weekly decisions.
Metric 4: Personal accountability. Extraordinary performers insist
on metrics and personal accountability. Average leaders choose blame over taking
responsibility for their actions. Extraordinary performers hate excuses, welcome
accountability, and choose to be responsible for their choices and actions. So,
don’t blame other people or circumstances or past history. Don’t give
away your power. Your power is in your choices—in your ability to produce
measurable actions. People don’t have to always like you or agree with you—but
it’s hard to argue with extraordinary results achieved with high-road ethics.
Deliver on promises and exceed expectations.
Use the four focus areas to unleash the potential within you. PE
