Enrolling in common goals
When I was a child Grandma Fannie had a set of encyclopedias as well as numerous other books. Many young people may not be familiar with the encyclopedia. They were a multi volume book set which attempted to do what google does for most of us today; provide access to a wide assortment of information.. if one was lucky enough to own a set of encyclopedias one got periodic updates which were helpful but after a time one had a large stack of updates to look through every time one was looking up information. Grandma Fannie and Grandpa Ed were not wealthy. Many in their limited income did not feel able to afford encyclopedias but one of Grandma Fannie’s clear goals was learning.
We are no longer dependent on a set of encyclopedias or the multiple books I owned as a younger man. Today, there is google, Ted Talks, Podcast, You Tube, Wikipedia, email correspondence, public libraries with a host of resources, magazines, and telephone access to many resources. As long as one has access to the internet one has access to more information than Grandma Fannie and her contemporaries could have dreamed of. Of course, just as with encyclopedias, not all the information is accurate. One still has to search out multiple resources, consider the background and credentials of the source and decide how much validity to give to each source. If one’s goal is to find material which agrees with one’s point of view then one can easily do that.
One of my pocket guru’s is Seth Godin. Daily I receive his brief blog in my email in box and periodically I can also access his podcast. His current podcast on his Akimbo podcast is “Difficult Conversations”. His very simple and helpful advice regarding difficult conversations is to ensure that all those with whom one must have a difficult conversation are enrolled in a common goal. If the goal is not the same for everyone or everyone has not enrolled in a common goal, then the conversations are going to be very difficult.
Part of the difficulty in n many situations is that either the goal is not clear or there are multiple goals. If, for example, the primary goal is to make as much money as possible in the shortest possible time, the quality of the product may not be very important. Another possible goal is to offer a quality product which will improve the quality of the buyer’s life while also practicing sound business practices. Those are two very different goals. Often the mission of an organization states one goal while the practices or policies of the organization suggests a different and often conflicting goal.
If the stated mission or goal of an organization or venture does not match what Set Godin is terming the enrollment of all involved then there are going to be many difficult conversations.
If the enrollment in a common goal is 100% then there may be debates about how to achieve that goal but the debates should not be uncomfortable or demeaning to anyone.
Clear, honest goals in one’s personal, work and community life are very important. Making sure everyone is on the same page – is enrolled in the same goal – may be time consuming in the short term but will save a lot of time, energy and heart ache in the long run.
Our current political climate is fraught with mistrust, anger, and fear because there has not been widespread enrollment in common goals. “Make America Great” is a very nebulous goal which has a significantly different meaning for many citizens of the United States.
There are also very different goals regarding the response to Covid-19. If the majority cannot agree on common goals and enroll the majority of the United States citizens in these goals than there are going to continue to be many difficult conversation or non-conversations consisting of hurdling sound bites at each other. If there are not common or shared goals all the information available will not be helpful.
Written May 20, 2020
Jimmy F Pickett
coachpickett.org
When I was a child Grandma Fannie had a set of encyclopedias as well as numerous other books. Many young people may not be familiar with the encyclopedia. They were a multi volume book set which attempted to do what google does for most of us today; provide access to a wide assortment of information.. if one was lucky enough to own a set of encyclopedias one got periodic updates which were helpful but after a time one had a large stack of updates to look through every time one was looking up information. Grandma Fannie and Grandpa Ed were not wealthy. Many in their limited income did not feel able to afford encyclopedias but one of Grandma Fannie’s clear goals was learning.
We are no longer dependent on a set of encyclopedias or the multiple books I owned as a younger man. Today, there is google, Ted Talks, Podcast, You Tube, Wikipedia, email correspondence, public libraries with a host of resources, magazines, and telephone access to many resources. As long as one has access to the internet one has access to more information than Grandma Fannie and her contemporaries could have dreamed of. Of course, just as with encyclopedias, not all the information is accurate. One still has to search out multiple resources, consider the background and credentials of the source and decide how much validity to give to each source. If one’s goal is to find material which agrees with one’s point of view then one can easily do that.
One of my pocket guru’s is Seth Godin. Daily I receive his brief blog in my email in box and periodically I can also access his podcast. His current podcast on his Akimbo podcast is “Difficult Conversations”. His very simple and helpful advice regarding difficult conversations is to ensure that all those with whom one must have a difficult conversation are enrolled in a common goal. If the goal is not the same for everyone or everyone has not enrolled in a common goal, then the conversations are going to be very difficult.
Part of the difficulty in n many situations is that either the goal is not clear or there are multiple goals. If, for example, the primary goal is to make as much money as possible in the shortest possible time, the quality of the product may not be very important. Another possible goal is to offer a quality product which will improve the quality of the buyer’s life while also practicing sound business practices. Those are two very different goals. Often the mission of an organization states one goal while the practices or policies of the organization suggests a different and often conflicting goal.
If the stated mission or goal of an organization or venture does not match what Set Godin is terming the enrollment of all involved then there are going to be many difficult conversations.
If the enrollment in a common goal is 100% then there may be debates about how to achieve that goal but the debates should not be uncomfortable or demeaning to anyone.
Clear, honest goals in one’s personal, work and community life are very important. Making sure everyone is on the same page – is enrolled in the same goal – may be time consuming in the short term but will save a lot of time, energy and heart ache in the long run.
Our current political climate is fraught with mistrust, anger, and fear because there has not been widespread enrollment in common goals. “Make America Great” is a very nebulous goal which has a significantly different meaning for many citizens of the United States.
There are also very different goals regarding the response to Covid-19. If the majority cannot agree on common goals and enroll the majority of the United States citizens in these goals than there are going to continue to be many difficult conversation or non-conversations consisting of hurdling sound bites at each other. If there are not common or shared goals all the information available will not be helpful.
Written May 20, 2020
Jimmy F Pickett
coachpickett.org
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