A few days ago, one of the leading real estate companies in Nigeria invited me to handle a training session for its personnel in Lagos. It was a two-hour session and I chose to teach on why strategic planning meetings are not producing desired results. It was a life-changing session.
Many companies are currently spending so much, conveying strategic sessions for the New Year and this is not wrong, but in this article, I am going to be unfolding why many strategic meetings are not working. Are you ready for this? If yes, let’s go!
It behooves me to start by saying that the gap between planning and desired results is behavior. Many companies are currently setting new big goals for the year, but no one is talking about the behavior that will deliver those unusual goals. They have forgotten that their 2021 version is obsolete in 2022! No one remains the same and be able to achieve new set-goals. To achieve what you have never achieved before, you will need to become who you have never become before.
To achieve new goals, the new you will need to emerge. I shared a story with them and I do believe that same story will add some value to you. A man was picked from a ghetto to be cleaned up, but before that, he was given some snapshots. After he was cleaned up—a beautiful suit was used to cover his back, he was given a nice haircut and good shoes were given to him.
Two weeks after, they went back to check him with one of the photographs he took after he was cleaned up, but to their chagrin, he was nowhere to be found. He had grown wings and flown away like a bird. Are you following this story? They went ahead to show his new photograph to everyone, but no one could recognize him, but immediately the old photograph was brought out, almost everyone could recognize him. It was there that they were told that he had gone back to the ghetto!
It was there that they did understand that it is easier to bring people out of ghetto than to take ghetto out of them. Also, it became clear as water to them that a true change happens on the inside, not outside. If people can experience an inward change, even if their clothes are not changed, the change inside will end up changing what is on the outside.
I spoke to them on how to achieve gradual change on the inside. I taught them on how to change one habit at a time. If you try to change more than one habit at a time, you are actually setting yourself up for failure. Take for instance; you want to exercise your body so that you can be very healthy, because if your health is challenged, forget about hitting and achieving the set goals of yours.
Start by exercising yourself gradually. Start with 5-10minutes. Many have died trying to start in a big way. Also, try to wake up 10minutes earlier than you do wake up. Trying to move from 6am to like 4am cannot work. Start small and gradually reduce the number of hours that you spend sleeping. Remember, you cannot sleep like you slept last year and be able to achieve bigger goals this year. You may need to reduce the number of hours you spent sleeping last year.
Whatever you want to change about yourself, write it down first. Using your mouth alone to say it won’t work. Write them down first. Also, make a plan. Your plan should include why you want to change the habit and the benefits that come with it. This is a very powerful and life-changing principle.
Take for instance you have anger problem and you want to overcome it. You will need to identify what triggers it. Once this is done, avoid those triggers and never walk close to those triggers again. This principle will help you overcome the problem of anger. Remember, uncontrollable anger destroys, it does not build.
Also, try to practice the principle of self-talk—when you are trying to change an old habit of yours always tell yourself that you can change any habit that you set your mind on to change. Once you say it within you that you cannot change; then it becomes your reality, because your mouth has said so. For the umpteenth time, there is no habit that you formed that you cannot break. And while you are working to break it, avoid situations that trigger the habit you are working hard to break.
To change and bridge the gap between strategic planning and desired results, you will need to have at least an accountability partner. If you decide to reduce your sugar intake level, you may need someone that you are going to be accountable to on it. You want to become consistent when it comes to exercising your body, you may need an accountability partner. Many years ago, I would send manuscripts of my books to some accountability partners. Those people were holding me accountable till I published those books. It is one thing to have sterling goals, but it is another thing to be able to realize those goals. Remember, some goals cannot be achieved being alone; you will need some accountability partners to be able to deliver them.
Lastly, for the umpteenth time, the major reason many plans are not seeing the light of day is because your old version cannot achieve them. In fact, who you were last year, cannot deliver your goals for this year. There are new sets of habits you will need to form. You may need to reduce the number of hours you spend sleeping if you are going to realize those new plans of yours. You may need to reduce the rate at which you eat to be able to land those new goals of yours. Till I come your way next Monday, see you where men and women of rare results are found!
and then