The Success Triangle
While the occasional person is “lucky” and achieves success by accident, the vast majority of successful people get there through focused hard work. Conversely, not everyone who works hard becomes successful. Hard work by itself is not enough. It needs to be focused in the right direction and aligned with a long term goal in mind.
The diagram above is a high-level model of what elements you need to combine in order to maximise your chances of success, be that in business or any other endeavour you want to achieve. For the purposes of this article, I am talking about your business. Let’s expand each side out a bit to give you a better understanding.
A Vision
This is the best place to start. As Stephen Covey says, “Begin with the end in mind”. What does your business and your life look like in 5 years time? I find that a useful timeframe to start with, but some people need a bigger vision and develop a 10-year BHAG (Big Hairy Audacious Goal). Frankly just pick a point in the future that you can visualise and describe in broad terms what you have achieved in financial, staffing, profit and personal goals. This Vision needs to inspire you especially when the going gets a bit tough, and it probably will, and will be the distant beacon of light to guide you.
Then bring that longer term Vision back to annual goals and even quarterly goals. Having closer in “progress goals” will keep the Vision real and help with motivating you by achieving milestones in your journey.
A Purpose
There is a great TED Talk by Simon Sinek where he talks about finding your “Why”. It’s the core purpose you have that gives you the drive to keep going and to bring others with you. Some people achieve this motivation from a very personal space. It may be the drive to provide for their family what they were denied when they were young. It may be a negative-driven motivation to prove people wrong who said they would not succeed. It doesn’t matter whether your inner purpose is born from positive or negative emotions; the important thing is that it truly drives you on.
Your inner purpose may not relate well to your customers, so you may need a second “Why” that resonates with your potential customers and also your staff. The desire to serve others and help them achieve THEIR vision can be a good place to start.
The most powerful “Why” is one that both motivates you AND your customers and team.
Do The Mahi
Now get to work. A strong Vision and a lofty “Why” will not bring you success by themselves. There was a very successful book and video called The Secret a few years ago that stated by just thinking about good outcomes, you would achieve what you wanted. Frankly I think this was a load of bunkum. To achieve your Vision you need to work hard; often very hard and sacrificing short term rewards for longer term ones. Building a business, especially in the construction game, is tough. Things won’t always go right and you will be tested along the way. You may need to change your course when obstacles are put in your way so that you can still achieve your Vision. When you think you are working hard, you may need to work even harder to push through a sticky patch and avoid going backwards.
Do the Mahi, keep your Vision in sight and use your Why to keep motivating yourself and other around you, and you are way more likely to achieve long term success.
I look forward to celebrate that with you.
I can help you review your current situation and together put a powerful plan for you and your business. To discuss what this could look like for you contact me at andy@tradescoach.co.nz or 027-6886721 and we can talk.