Everyone’s looking for a way to get a leg up on the competition. Here’s some good news – it isn’t that difficult. Here’s even better news – it isn’t difficult at all.
Franklin Covey’s Center for Advanced Research (CAR) conducted an extensive five-year study to gauge the level of engagement between employees and the organizations in which they worked. CAR studied the same nine sectors of the economy the U.S. Census Bureau uses for its research. They interviewed nearly 6,800 employees in 530 companies in both the public and private sectors. The result? Embarrassingly large percentages of employees in the workplace had no clue what their employers annual goals were. In fact, most couldn’t name a single organizational goal.
The bottom line, according to CAR: “When large numbers of American workers show up to work each day knowing neither why they are there nor what they are supposed to do all day, it means American business is operating very inefficiently, and that means poor service and lower profits.”
See why I say it isn’t difficult to get a leg up on the competition? Here are five simple ways to set yourself apart in the marketplace:
1. Think “Alignment”- Before you can make the link between your performance objectives and those of your company, you need to know what your company’s initiatives and objectives are. Take time to study your organization’s strategic plan and/or talk to your boss about making sure your performance is in alignment with what your company intends to achieve.
2. Think “Vision” – Once you understand what the company intends to achieve, you can you create a vision for how you intend to contribute to your organization’s success. You can’t hit a target you can’t see, so preparing a “written” plan for what you intend to accomplish will be critical to creating a performance advantage.
3. Think “Objectives” – Remember the old adage, “If you can’t measure it, you can’t manage it.” Brian Tracy calls written objectives “fuel for the furnace of achievement.” For an objective to have power, it must be measurable. Less than five percent of individuals have written goals for improving performance and productivity. Just writing your goals down gives you a jump on the competition.
4. Think “Action” – Achievement is about doing – not about dreaming. Intentions are simply not enough when it comes to you becoming an outperformer. The only measure of what you believe you can accomplish is what you do. Develop daily action plans. Work on your most important objectives daily by carving out time to do the tasks or activities that will accomplish your objectives.
5. Think “Support” – Success and achievement are (almost) never achieved in a vacuum. You’ll need help achieving meaningful goals. Whether it’s the help of your boss to allow you to carve out time to work on those things that matter most, or a team member who has skills or abilities you don’t have, you won’t succeed alone. Ken Blanchard said: “None of us is as smart as all of us.” As you make your plans for performing at a higher level, include the resources you’ll need to succeed.
Getting that leg up on the competition is not as difficult as you thought it would be. It’s just a matter of thinking and working a little smarter than others you work with. Make sure that what you’re doing – on a daily basis – is in alignment with what your company needs you to do to help achieve corporate objectives.
When you do that – you will outperform the competition.
