3% of all business owners make 84% of all private biz income. Why? They’re not covering for unknown weaknesseses.
Goals & Friends are like Peanut Butter & Jelly.
Grab a pen and a friend. Quick.
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This article was published on April 28, 2011. So far, 6 people have left their thoughts. Share your own thoughts.
There is new evidence from a Dominican University study that you can really, truly move yourself forward, whatever your objective, if you just follow a simple three-step process.
The Dominican University study broke people into five groups:
- Group 1 – were simply asked to think about their goals
- Group 2 – write them down
- Group 3 – the above, plus create an action plan
- Group 4 – the above, plus send their action plan to a friend.
- Group 5 – the above, plus send a weekly progress report to a friend who would be supportive.
The Result?
- Group 5 – Those who reported weekly to a supportive friend accomplished significantly more than those who just sent the action plan once.
- Group 4 – Those who sent the action plan only once to a friend still accomplished significantly more than those who simply wrote their goals and an action plan.
- Groups 3 and 2 – those who wrote down what they wanted accomplished significantly more than those who just formulated the goals in their head.
The point?
This study is even more evidence that three things create success – a written objective, public commitment to it, and ongoing outside support to finish the plan. I’m a recovering “rugged individualist” who has learned that the most effective results are achieved in community, not by ourselves.
Once you know your objective, success is three simple steps away:
- Write it down
- Share it with others in public
- Work with friends on a weekly or bi-weekly basis to achieve those objectives.
We call these types of business groups, “Committed Communities”. These live at a much higher level than any of the standard networking groups, with much better results.
I used to lead small mastermind groups of 6-8 business owners as a great expression of Committed Communities. We now have three Committed Community approaches to working with business people – 3to5 Club, FasTrak, and OnTrak. All three were built around the belief that written objectives, public commitment to them, and ongoing outside support are the best way to get where you want to go.
So go it alone if you want, but just know you’re taking the road more traveled – the hard one. I’ve been on that road – it’s really bumpy and slow-going. Lots of blowouts, over-heating and break downs.
If you want to move from survival right through success to significance with the least number of rebuilt engines along the way, find a Committed Community of business owners near you and jump in with both feet. If you can’t find one, guess what you’re next step should be.
Add Your Own
Thoughts
Jen Orvis
04/30/11
Power in a committed community! I have always had some type of goal or objective that I was working towards but not until I had people offering support did I start to create major momentum. A friend is an incredible catalyst to reaching your goals.
Gregory Rader | OnTheSpiral.com
04/30/11
Hey Chuck,
What are your thoughts on the ideas presented in this TED talk by Derek Sivers.
Derek essentially argues that by making a goal public we get some of the feeling of satisfaction that comes from accomplishing it – people tell us how great we are for setting such an ambitious goal – and that sense of psuedo-accomplishment can diminish the drive towards actual accomplishment.
I think there is some sense in that, though obviously your position is very often true as well. My initial thought is that the reaction and behavior of the “support” group makes a huge difference. If they will hold you accountable, or even better, join you, then your point holds. If they are the types who support you regardless just for trying then perhaps their support is actually a demotivator…
Chuck
04/30/11
Gregory,
Great question – thx.
Sivers didn’t mention a VERY important thing – Gollwtizer’s 2009 research was focused on IDENTITY goals – “I’m going to be happy/ a great mother/ a rich man, etc.” See “When Intentions Go Public Does Social Reality Widen the Intention-Behavior Gap?” Gollwitzer, 2009
“Identity” goals to me aren’t goals, but simple wishes/hopes, like wanting to be a fireman when I grow up. The way I define a goal is with clear and unmovable metrics – you either attain it or you don’t.
INTENTION VS. “WISHES” – Four years ago when I started this business I declared to the world in print in my first book that I intended (important word to Gollwitzer, and to me) to have a Mature Business on Friday, February 18, 2011, at 10am. I then described exactly what that looked like in both time and money. Then I described the 3 1/2 weeks of vacation I would take while my business made money without me, and put an exact amount of money on what I intended the vacation to cost. And then I lived it out in a Committed Community of business owners until 2/18/11 at 10am when I left for New Zealand.
Here’s what Gollwitzer’s research really said about goal setting – much more complete than what Sivers relays – (I copied this, not my words):
“The idea is that planning in advance when, where and how one will complete a self assigned goal will lead to greater success. An implementation INTENTION [my emphasis] is the name of the plan that one creates. Studies have shown (e.g. Gollwitzer & Brandstatter, 1997) that implementation intentions help people initiate working towards their goal and help make the process feel automatic over time. There is an especially large effect size for goals that are harder to complete.”
So for starters, I would say a goal isn’t a goal unless it has metrics and clear planning on exactly where you are going. It is nearly impossible to do that with unmeasurable “identity” goals.
Second – the 2009 test Sivers refers to is for a 45 minute experiment, and proves what I also believe; that when people “declare” things in a general fashion “I’m going to do better” it makes them feel better and even let’s them off the hook.
That’s a whole different thing than “I intend to make $xxxx money and have xxx free time by xxxx date, with a business that doess $xxxxx revenue on that date.”
And there isn’t any research anywhere that would say it makes sense to keep long term measurable goals (losing 50 lbs by 18 months from on this day, etc.) to yourself. Everything from weight watchers (a Committed Commnity) to any sports team to any successful business will tell you the opposite is quite true.
The difference? One guy is bloviating emotionally in a room as a catharsis, and the other guy is putting metrics and dates on it.
Another key factor – notice that in the study they just announced to a room full of people – did they have s single friend there who was willing to support them in the long run?
I talk a lot about conation – committed movement in a purposeful direction. It’s antonym is “velleity” – the expressed desire with no intention of doing anything. Gollwitzer was proving velleity, not conation. And velleity won’t work with or without friends.
Norm Marquardson
04/30/11
Thank you Chuck! It takes so much more than just “writing it down” to reach important goals and I love the idea of a “committed community.” However, with the ease of joining “communities” in many forms anymore—it’s not just family, friends from school, trade associations, colleagues—it’s Facebook friends, Twitter followers, far-flung project team members, the latest online group/team/tribe/community/etc.
So I’d love to hear more about how you select those opportunities that are the best place to invest your time and heart. The best/worthwhile ones that will have impact on us and our life and goal achievements, take time, which is limited and precious. I am wrestling with this. And I know many who say “just jump in!” And that’s fair; doing beats sitting. But do you have any tips or advice on selecting the right forum/group/tribe/community so we don’t let “good” keep us from “great?” Many thanks for sharing your thoughts!
Chuck
05/01/11
Norm,
Great question – should be it’s own post but I’ve got too many topics lined up, so I’ll address it here.
The basis of a Committed Community:
1) Commitment to Teamwork – a “team” is a “group of individuals committed to reaching an agreed upon goal using agreed upon methodology for getting there.” Everyone agrees to go to Chicago and they all agree to take a train to get there. An example – our 3to5 Club is based on the objective of getting to a Business Maturity Date where you can regularly make money while you’re on vacation, and using the same methodology to get there – what we call The Four Building Blocks of a Business, The Big Why, a 2pg Strategic Plan, Process Mapping to get you off the treadmill, and Outside Eyes on your business.
A Committed Community – we’re all going the same direction using the same method of getting there.
2) Consistent group and individual interaction – our 3to5 Clubs meet twice a month ongoing. And members then meet two others for coffee during the month. A basketball team meets every day to practice, and individuals get together to work on skills outside of that group effort. That’s a Committed Community.
3) Metrics – If what we do isn’t measurable, there is no commitment. 3to5 Clubs require and report on attendance, and on one2ones outside the group. We also measure business done, # guests, strategic alliances referred, etc., and these stats are reported in every meeting. People also declare their Business Maturity Date in every meeting. Why? Simple – you get what you intend, not what you hope for. So a Committed Community is built on clear and measurable intentionality, not wishful thinking.
So find a group that is 1) a team (agreed upon goals and methodology), 2) meets regularly in the group and as individuals, and 3) measures their progress toward the agreed upon goal. Those three lay the foundation of a Committed Community of business owners.
Mark Newton
05/03/11
Great article. I’d love your thoughts on www.irunurun.com. We created this app to provide just what you discuss in this post – create key actions (measurable) toward your goals, share them with your team (friends/co-workers) and provide weekly accountability. Each team member’s progress is normalized into a weekly score. Please let us know your thoughts, and thanks again for the article.
-Mark
Gregory Rader | OnTheSpiral.com
05/03/11
Chuck, thanks so much for the very detailed response. So my follow up is:
What if your goals ARE identity goals?
Or alternatively, what if your ultimate goals are clear but unmeasurable and intermediate steps are either unclear or allow for many different paths?
Not everything can be planned years in advance and not everyone knows where they want to be years in advance, right? How should someone think about implementing this who will be continuing to search for direction and answers along the way?
Chuck
05/03/11
Mark,
Thanks for sharing irunurun.com – I just set up an account. Stay tuned.
Pam Tirk
05/04/11
We are born to win and conditioned to fail! The condition cannot be undone without the right people (community) and then the right tools. Business owners have it backwards.
Chuck
05/04/11
Gregory,
Even for identity goals I would set highly measurable “waypoints” along the way. Example – If I want to become a doctor, that’s an identity goal – great thing, but has no tangibles to it. So to make sure it happens I figure out the 3-4 waypoints that will get me there, put dates on them, and get other people to support me in getting there: finish high school on xx/xx/xx, pursue “xxxx” undergraduate degree and graduate by xx/xx/xx, graduate from med school by xx/xx/xx, etc.
Bottom line – whatever I intend to achieve, I should put a date or some other metric on it, and go public. Hope that helps!
Gregory Rader | OnTheSpiral.com
05/05/11
This link articulates the question I am trying to understand much better than I was able to articulate it:
http://blogs.forbes.com/nathanfurr/2011/05/05/the-entrepreneurs-paradox-and-solution/
Basically, how does one produce that accountability and commitment while still allowing for the possibility that a pivot may be necessary?
I might think I want to be a doctor, but somewhere along the way, if my eyes are open, maybe I should realize that I am more suited to being a dentist.
Chuck
05/06/11
Gregory,
The answer is very simple and yet hard to do. We have to combine two known factors of being successful:
1) Utter commitment to where we want to go – sold out, all in, sink the ships, burn the bridges, shred the parachutes. Nothing will stop me from getting there.
2) The willingness to stay flexible on HOW we get there, always taking feedback and making mid-course corrections at every step of the way.
We’ve been taught just the opposite – stick your toe in the water on that “big thing” you want to shoot for – don’t really jump in. And yet at the same time, be totally sold out to a single PROCESS for getting there (education, etc.). We are addicted to HOW we get somewhere, without being sold out to WHERE we want to go. We need to do just the opposite.
Your post is reflective of that problem. You’re not committed at all to becoming a doctor. You’re waffling before you start – maybe I’ll end up being a dentist.
The #1 indicator of whether you will get where you are going is COMMITMENT to that objective, not fear of whether it might work out or not.
The only thing that will make you into a dentist instead of a doctor is if you have given being a doctor everything you have – nothing held back, and you ended up a dentist instead. In that case, congrats – you’re a dentist! And you would have never gotten to the thing you should be without having been completely sold out to becoming a doctor.
Planning never creates movement, but committed movement can create a great plan. Get moving and be committed to the end goal. Stay flexible on how you get there. And realize that failure is when you go nowhere.