Wrecking Ball

I love the beginning of the year. I think I love it more than Christmas, Thanksgiving and my birthday. I particularly love January because EVERYONE is focused on goals, and my goal-driven life sounds a little less crazy when everyone else is doing it too!

However, as the end of the month approached, I imagined many people’s resolutions to lose weight, quit smoking, exercise more and worry less had fallen by the wayside as people resorted back to easy, comfortable behaviors and their “normal” way of life. The cliche is undeniably true: we are creatures of habit, and changing these habits requires consistent effort and conscious, sometimes difficult decision-making.

At the beginning of every year I spend time thinking about what I want to achieve over the next 12 months, both personally and professionally. I’ve learned that having specific, realistic goals drives me forwards and prevents me from becoming stagnant. As I mentioned in a previous post, I struggle when I feel like my life is out of control, so setting goals allows me to map out my direction for the next year and reduce the likelihood of aimless meandering and time wasting. Life is short; and I want spend as much of mine pursuing my passions as possible. Thus, by the end of January, I am excited to evaluate the progress I’ve made towards my goals.

Professionally, I believe that this year will be a pivotal year. The organization I work for (and have worked for for many years) has recently adopted a new strategic plan, and one of my main responsibilities is to align the daily operations with the goals of this plan. To this end, while I was on vacation at the beginning of the month I wrote what has unofficially become known as the “Twelve Point Plan” (12PP).

[My mum reminded me the other day that one of the 20th century world leaders wrote a “something point plan” and that I should probably make sure I wasn’t emulating Hitler or Stalin. Mum, I checked, and it was Woodrow Wilson’s Fourteen Points which provided a guide to end World War I. Just so you know.]

The 12PP consists of twelve significant goals that, if accomplished, will move the operations of the organization forward, improve the satisfaction and quality of life of the clients we serve and position us more strongly in the field.

Just like a personal resolution like weight loss, the key to successfully meeting professional goals doesn’t just lie in doing something right. Often, before new habits or behaviors can be adopted, or before significant positive change can be enacted, old habits must be broken, barriers must be destroyed and the power structures must be smashed. My husband told me that every time I talk about the 12PP, he has visions of me clinging to a wrecking ball, breaking down the old so that my team and I can rebuild the new.

Now I’m starting the implement the 12PP, I am reminded that it is through professional conflict that trust can be built. If I push my team to get better results, it is likely that some of them will push back, afraid of what they do not know or have not yet seen to be successful. There will be conflicts of opinion and disagreements, but by talking through all the options we will come to consensus and we will commit to make change for the good of the people we serve. Our team will become stronger as our trust builds, and we will celebrate every small accomplishment on the journey towards goal completion. I’m going lead the charge by riding the wrecking ball for a few more weeks – and I hopeful that all my team members join me.