I recently attended the American Society of Association Executives Annual Conference and had the privilege of sitting in on an excellent keynote session about reaching goals and the support necessary to do so.  It was very thought provoking and really had me thinking about the power of the mind and how it affects us in reaching both our personal and professional goals.

Astronaut twins, Mark and Scott Kelly, delivered the keynote.  Their stories were very inspirational and focused on the power of goal setting.  I’ve personally always believed strongly in the power of setting goals both in my personal life and professional life.  Their story was one about their mother who overcame great obstacles, literally, to become a police officer.  The physical fitness test was grueling and included the ability to climb over a 7’2” wall. She practiced every night after dinner on the replica wall that their dad built for her in the backyard.  Unbeknownst to her, he built it 7’3”.  Initially she failed time after time, attempt after attempt.  But after months of practice, she did it.  She then proceeded to pass the test in half the time allowed. 

This story really got me thinking not only about the importance of setting goals for yourself, but the importance of having others support that goal.  Her husband built her a practice wall, and her sons would cheer her on night after night.  She wasn’t in it alone; she had cheerleaders and supporters.  It’s the same in business.  The CEO is often the cheerleader or supporter, and the team works together to accomplish a main goal.  Or a manager may support and commend an employee as he works toward a goal.  Most importantly, these cheerleaders continue to provide support even after several failures.  It takes many small steps to achieve any major goal, and it takes perseverance to finally succeed.  Above all, the power of the mind plays a great role.  It was her determination and belief that she could get over that wall that contributed greatly to her eventual success.

Also discussed was the importance of compartmentalization.  We all have so many daily distractions, and we must focus on only the things that we can control.  I find this to be very true.  Imagine if every little distraction steered us away from our goals, whether they be daily, weekly, or longer term.  We’d never reach them.  They talked about the time Mark Kelly’s wife, Congress Woman Gabrielle Giffords, was shot.  When that happened Mark’s brother Scott was on the international space station.  He wanted nothing more than to be with his family and support his brother, but it was out of his control.  He had to stay focused on his mission at hand. 

I think my favorite quote from this keynote session was, “Teamwork makes the dream work.”  How powerful is that? No business has ever reached its goals through just one person.  The entire team must be on board and contribute.  Leadership must display excitement and belief that the goals can be met.  We must motivate our staff to feel as excited as we are.  This reminds me of another session I attended about decision making.  In any organization there are two types of decision making: 1) participatory/community and 2) competence/expertise.  The first one is where team members can really begin to vest themselves in the goals of the organization.  In participatory decision making more people are involved in the process.  This is a great opportunity to practice inclusion in your business.  Involve team members that aren’t typically in decision making groups.  When team members have a say, they feel included and a sense of importance to the organization.  Being a part of that decision will help them to feel closer to the goals attached to it.  Of course there are still times when the second style of decision making, competence/expertise, is appropriate.  In this streamlined decision making process leadership use their expertise to make quick decisions that are then shared among the other team members.

This whole concept reminds me of the adage “It takes a Village.”  As leaders and professionals we must set goals and utilize our teams to attain those goals.  Realize that there won’t necessarily be success all along the way; there will be some failures or stumbling blocks.  That’s OK.  The long term success is what’s important.  Making small, deliberate constant corrections along the way will eventually lead you to success.  Believe in the goal, make sure the team believes in the goal, and then set forth a plan to achieve the goal. 

Join us in Livonia on Wednesday, September 14, 9:00 a.m.-4:30 p.m., for a class on Goal Setting.  To register or learn more click here.