Logic and emotion are both of great importance to being effective. Sharing inspiring stories that demonstrate our values and highlight success help us to engage with both the logical and emotional sides of what we need to do.

The Psychological Requirement to Connect Logic and Emotions

“Humans are creatures with a two-sided brain: On the left side, there’s nothing right and on the right side, there’s nothing left.” Anon

Scientists have long explored the dual functions of the brain and many people have heard of the idea that the left hemisphere of the brain is for logical functions whereas the right side is more for creative thinking.

Although this lateralisation is an over simplification it does contribute to our understanding of thought processes and personality types. We all have some sort of preference to being either more rational or intuitive in our approach to challenges and psychologists have used this and other measures to help explain personality types.

For example in the Big 5’ personality traits model a preference for being more creative, intuitive and creative in approach would lead someone to have a high ‘openness’ score. Equally, within the same system, someone with a more logical, ordered and detailed approach to life is likely to have a higher ‘conscientiousness’ ranking.

Once again these measures are generalisations but they demonstrate that we all have certain preferences and that any preference to one side or another has certain strengths and weaknesses and therefore we need a balance of the logical and emotional in our approach.

How to Get the Balance and Make the Connection

One way we can achieve that balance is through developing a good team and having people who can fulfil different roles and play to their strengths. But even with a well balanced team there are certain functions in an organisation – such as customer service and brand awareness – that everyone has an influence on and therefore, whatever their preference, they need a way to be connected to both the logical and emotional drivers in the business.

It has been demonstrated that one of the most powerful ways of connecting between the logical and emotional is the use of stories. For most people it is shared experiences, the conversations we have, and the life illustrations we hear, that are the lessons we tend to remember.  These things become the threads that tie together the logical and emotional aspects of what we do.

This knowledge is very important to organisations, as any team needs to engage their people at the logical level, through things such as goals and measurements, to more emotional issues such as values and purpose. Really successful institutions have ways of capturing and sharing stories that naturally spread through the group; encouraging people and embedding the right strategies and attitudes in people whatever level, role or function they operate in.

The Successful Military Model

Having had a military background I can share a way that the Armed Forces has created a process that enables the sharing of stories that demonstrated the values of the organisation and inspire people to achieve their tasks with the right attitudes.

Even though the values of the British Army are regularly taught to soldiers, if you asked the average private what those values were they would probably struggle to give you more than two of the six core values. The core values of the British Army are:

• Courage
• Discipline
• Respect for others
• Integrity
• Loyalty
• Selfless commitment

These values are the most important aspect of the emotional connection within the Army. The critical issue on the logical side is the concept of mission. The military operates within an approach called mission command and the importance of achieving the mission is drummed into every service man and woman.

Because a mission in the Army frequently requires hardship or threat to life it is vital that the values are effectively understood and adhered to. Otherwise the deeper purpose and motivation would be lost. How then is this done when the average soldier cannot recall what the values are? The answer is that they all know stories that link the achievement of a mission with the values that underpin that success.

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Stories that Inspire: Medal Citations

Many stories are passed on informally in the bars and barrack rooms of the military but there is also a formal process for capturing and celebrating the best of these stories. This is done through citations and the awarding of medals.

In the British Commonwealth the most famous medal of all is the Victoria Cross; the highest commendation that can be awarded for valour in the face of the enemy. Introduced by Queen Victoria in 1856 the Victoria Cross (VC) has only been awarded 1356 times, and only 13 times since the Second World War.

The stories that surround VC winners are legendary; VC winners are the heroes of the Armed Forces and the stories permeate the culture of the organisation. Their history is taught during training, pictures of their heroic deeds hang on the walls of offices and messes; teams and places are even named after them.

Lieutenant John Chard – A Hero of Rorke’s Drift

For me, being a Royal Engineer Officer, one story I have been steeped in is that of Lieutenant John Chard, the Royal Engineer Officer who led the defence of Rorke’s Drift during the Zulu War in 1878.

Chard was sent to Rorke’s Drift (a small garrison at a mission station) to build a bridge but the location became the site of a decisive battle.

A Zulu impi (an Army of 3000-4000 men) descended upon Rorke’s Drift fresh from subjecting the British to a terrible defeat at Isandlwana where they had annihilated 1350 British and Native troops.

There were only 139 soldiers (including 30 sick and wounded) and a handful of local and colonial troops (making about 150 in total) at Rorke’s Drift but John Chard led the successful defence of the station. The desperate fighting, often fought hand to hand, went on through an afternoon and an entire night but the defence held. The battle cost 17 of the defenders lives. The Zulus suffered several hundred mortalities and withdrew from the attack the following morning.

The incredible valour by the defenders led to the awarding on 11 VCs and 4 DCMs (Distinguished Conduct Medals). The story is particularly well known as it was made famous by the film ‘Zulu’ where John Chard was played by Stanley Baker and Lieutenant Gonville Bromhead – his fellow officer and VC recipient – was played by Michael Caine.

John Chard’s actions demonstrated his deep commitment to his mission and an exemplary illustration of the values of the Army. The leadership that Chard demonstrated at Rorke’s Drift has inspired generations of young officers, such as myself, and this is just one of many incredible stories that could be told of brave service men and women.

Inspiring Stories for Making the Connection

A recipient of the Victoria Cross is an extreme example of a story, and certainly not an everyday occurrence, but shows the power of stories to inspire people. Stories have the power to connect people to the logical and emotional requirements that an organisation expects of them and it is important that any team or business looks at ways of capturing and spreading stories that equip, inspire and release employees to take new levels of ownership in their work.

Trying to come up with a short pithy mission statement that encompasses everything you are about in life is not an easy task!  Do not worry – the concept of mission statements is bigger than just one individual phrase, as I will try to explain.  Mission statements exist in the context of lots of interlocking levels, generally not just as some isolated goal that stands totally alone.

Different mission statements within a single company

Imagine a company, a company that makes toilet rolls.  The vision of the company is that every posterior in the world should be blessed by the ultra-soft ‘Cushionette’ produced by the business.  They have defined their mission, their measure of success as: ‘to have a roll of Cushionette available in every lavatory in the world’.  It is a bold and audacious mission.

Different departments, different mission statements?

There are many departments within the company to allow it to function properly.  There are Sales; the guys in sales have a mission statement that is almost exactly the same as the company mission because they are trying to sell the product into as many spaces ‘in the world’ as possible.  For the Quality Control team, the mission statement is easy too, they need to make sure each roll of Cushionette is ‘ultra soft’.

How about the Finance team?  Defining the mission for the Finance team is somewhat harder.  It is harder still at an individual level: how do you create a mission statement that applies to the person who does the photocopying for the Finance team?  Yet, if they are going to be effective they need a mission that connects them to the greater vision and shows them how they can make a tangible difference in achieving the bigger goal.

So the Reprographic Officer (photocopier person) will have their personal mission statement.  Let’s say in this case their mission statement is “to always produce copies that are timely, accurate and cost-efficient” but that mission is a sub-set of the Finance team mission, which is, in turn, a subset of the company mission.

Linking and nesting mission statements

This is important as the more productive each individual and team is the more productive the overall effect is.  Also, one failure of the smallest element can bring down the whole thing.  If the ‘Vice President of Printed Communications’ (another photocopier person) fails to copy the company accounts on time, the company is put at risk. All right, so this is stretching the point somewhat but on a serious note, any communications process can have a major effect on the effectiveness of a team or company.

So from the example above we can see that within an organisation there will be various missions that all need to interlock vertically across the company.  It’s like those Russian dolls that fit inside one another.  Not clear yet?  Let’s investigate this from another angle; here is some background to the theory.

Mission Command

The military has probably spent more time and effort on developing the idea of a mission than anyone else, and in the British military this overlapping hierarchy of mission statements is referred to as ‘mission command’.  This decentralised approach is to some extent based on the lessons learned from the effectiveness of German Stormtroopers and the ‘manoeuvrist’ approach of Blitzkrieg warfare, but again don’t worry if this means nothing to you, you do not need to be an expert in military history to understand the basic principles.

The idea behind mission command is to allow maximum freedom of movement, coordination and support at every level of the organisation by having interconnected mission statements.  It requires a highly trained and motivated force but when it works it is referred to as a force multiplier, in other words, it is highly effective and greater than the sum of its parts.  In business, this is sometimes referred to as ‘synergy’.

So maximum effectiveness is the aim; your main responsibility is to make sure you and/or your workforce are highly trained and motivated, and then to make sure the mission is clear and connected both up and down the organisation.

How to craft a mission statement

In the military, the mission statement actually comes in two parts.  There is both a ‘to’ and an ‘in order to’ phrase in the statement.  For example, I said earlier a mission might be ‘to capture the position on hill 321’ but it will also have a second half that says something like ‘in order to allow the battalion to advance’.  In other words, one mission is connected to another mission in a hierarchy.  In this case, the battalion cannot achieve its mission of advancing unless the enemy position on the hill is captured.  The battalion in turn will have a mission that connects to its higher command and so on up the chain. These go up from the tactical to operational, strategic and grand-strategic levels. That one mission to engage with the enemy on hill 321 will be part of a much larger picture such as a war between two sovereign states. Who knows, the whole campaign could pivot on that one action: that is why the mission is so important.

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Mission statements work up and down and side to side

So just like the toilet roll company, all the missions interlock up and down the organisation. So that is the hierarchy – the up and down bit, but there is more.  There is a horizontal plane of mission as well as a vertical one. Every department in a company or every person in a team will have a slightly different mission but they need to complement each other. Crafting mission statements is likely correctly harnessing horses. You are trying to get people to pull together in the same direction.

As an individual you are likely to have a mission in your workplace that interconnects vertically and horizontally within that organisation but your career mission statement may have very little to do with other parts of your life.  Most of us have a range of responsibilities and wear a variety of different hats. Therefore we can expect to have different missions that are relevant to the various roles we play.  For example what is your contribution or role within your community?  What is your mission in terms of your family and relationships?

These personal mission statements have a hierarchy too as all the goals we set are effectively part of the mission and they only exist (or should only exist) to support the greater mission.  Confused? Don’t worry! Take a look at how to make an action plan.

In this post, we are going to be looking at how to write a CV (also known as a resume, pronounced résumé) with some exercises you can employ to help you. I will also be offering some advice on templates and examples.

What is a CV or resume?

A resume is a document that summarises your professional experience including your work history and qualifications. ‘CV’ stands for the Latin ‘Curriculum Vitae’ meaning ‘the course of my life’, and a resume is effectively a concise version of your work life.

Therefore, whether you are actively looking for a new job or not, you should keep your CV up to date as life develops. This is for several reasons:

• You never know when an opportunity might arise and someone will ask for a copy
• Your CV is the basis of your ‘brand’. It should be a reference document for all your online profile pages.
• Updating your CV is a useful exercise in assessing where you have come from and where you are. It helps you to take stock of your situation so you can assess your progress and plan your next moves.

“To Determine Your Future, First Understand Your Past“

Tschäppeler and Krogerus

Steps to creating a CV or resume

Follow these steps to create your own curriculum vitae:

1. Content. Write out a long version of your resume. This should include all the elements listed below.
2. Tailor. Now consider who the CV is for and edit accordingly. For example:
   • re-write your objective or personal statement specifically for the position you want to apply for
   • Look at the experience, competencies or qualifications in the job advert and make sure you include the necessary elements
3. Edit. Keep editing the wording until you have a resume of less than two sides (A4/US letter)
4. Format. Now work on the formatting so the CV is both nice to look at and easy to read
5. Review. Check your content, spelling and grammar and then get at least one other person to do the same and give their opinion

Content: What should be in a resume or CV?

A good CV or resume will generally include the following:

• References (3-5 people)
• Personal details
• Personal profile or objective
• Professional experience and career history
• Education and qualifications
• Other skills and competencies
• Interests and hobbies

Start by listing elements of content but don’t stop there. Most CVs are dull lists of un-associated information. A list may give some facts but they do not necessarily sell you. You need to tell a story and demonstrate how you will bring value to the organisation you are applying to.

One excellent piece of advice I was given, when writing my résumé, was to think of four or five success stories from work or your greatest life achievements. For each of these stories, write a paragraph on what the situation was, what was the role you were playing, how you solved the problem, and then outline the results of achieving your goal. Illustrate the story with hard statistics (such as the amount of profit, percentage growth etc), to back it up.

Now create your bullet points as if they are headlines from the story. I do not mean that each point should be overly sensational or be some silly tabloid play on words, but each sentence should have an impact and point to a larger story.

Tailor: Answer the question

It is vital that your CV answers the questions that the recruiter is asking. Think of it as an essay; you need to ask the question that has been set.

When a company announces an opening for a position it is because they have a gap; it is a problem that needs to be solved. They set out the problem in the advertisement and you want to be the solution.

If there is a job description for the post then scrutinise it. Does your CV tick the box for each qualification, level of experience and competency that the recruiter is advertising for? If you do not satisfy each requirement then what evidence are you offering that you can still do the job? If you are actually in the process of applying for a role then consider the content of the covering letter as this can help to reinforce how you are the answer to the question.

Edit: Make is short, clear and concise

I am a firm believer in keeping CVs short and to the point. I have sifted hundreds of CVs and a large HR department may have to look at thousands (one of the reasons many firms are turning towards online applications). You may be very proud of everything you have achieved, and rightly so, but your CV is your elevator pitch, your foot in the door, not your life history. You need your CV to get you that interview; then you can elaborate on how amazing you are.

Write out your long version, to begin with, include everything and then keep that as a reference copy but then refine the CV for each application. There is plenty of debate on how long a CV should be but it is generally accepted that it should not be longer than two sides long.

If you need two pages, make sure the most important information is on the first page, and the critical points are at the top. Someone may only look at your CV for a few seconds; make sure they count. It is worth refining a one-page version, even if you eventually choose a longer one, just to help with editing and focussing on the most important information.

Format: make a positive impact

First impressions count. Looking smart, smiling and giving a firm handshake is important in making a good first impression in an interview. The same principles apply to the résumé; a CV needs to grab (and keep) the attention of the reader. Therefore it is vital that it looks good and that there are no mistakes in formatting or spelling.

If you make a bad first impression it is very unlikely you will get any further. I can speak from experience. When I have seen CVs that are badly formatted, difficult to scan or have spelling mistakes then I draw negative conclusions about the person that wrote the document. Remember: if your document looks professional people will think you are professional.

Review: check and then get a second opinion

Even though I would suggest you write your own CV I would also recommend that you get at least one person to check it over. Get a friend, a colleague or a coach to read it through, proof-read it and comment on the content and style. It is a good idea if you can provide a few examples for people to choose from and comment upon.

Choose people who will give you honest feedback. If you can get advice from someone in your network who is an HR professional or recruiter then so much the better.

Keep adapting: chameleon communication

Some people do not like changing their CVs when applying for different roles. They often mistakenly think that adapting their résumé for a new position is either:

• Too much time and work to bother
• That it is somehow lacking in integrity to change what they have written

But they are missing a very important point. You certainly do not want to lie about your skills and experience (this will soon get found out) but in any sort of communication, you should consider your target audience.

For example, when I was leaving the military and moving into project management I had to translate my experience for my new audience. How was someone in an HR department supposed to know that my experience as an ‘Operations Officer’ was equivalent to being a ‘Programme Manager’? If I had not adopted new terminology then my CV would have been completely misread. Make sure you write your CV in the language of the industry you hope to work in.

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You are your own marketing department

Equally, you should think of changing your layout and style depending upon whom you are applying to. Your CV is a marketing tool, you are selling yourself, and you need to research the market you are trying to sell into. In other words, if you are applying to a law firm they may appreciate a more traditional and conservative CV whereas a media start-up will probably prefer something more original and creative.

Templates and examples

There are loads of templates and examples of CVs available to help you get started. Newer versions of word processors such as Microsoft Word and Mac Pages all have templates that you can use. I have adapted and used such templates with great success in the past.

There are lots of templates available on the internet, many for free, and I would not recommend buying a CV unless you are sure you are going to get a return on that investment. Equally, I would not get someone to write your CV for you either for the same reasons, and you don’t want to be splashing out every time you need to adapt your CV for some new application.

To get you started I have created a simple CV and resume template that you can download for free – just click here. It also includes some further guidelines on how to craft the content of your resume. The headings and outline will provide you with a guideline to what to include.

Whatever template you go for I recommend that you personalise it in some way. You want to make it your own and stand out from the rest. You do not want to turn up at the party wearing the same outfit as someone else.

Your CV is a living document

Once it is written do not think of it as being written in stone; your CV should always be a work in progress. Review, update and adapt it on a regular basis. This is a useful tool in developing your self-awareness, personal brand and as a starting point for planning your own career.

If you want the best chance of successfully achieving your goals and dreams then you are going to need some sort of plan. Here are some tips, steps and templates to help you plan and achieve any goal.

“If you can dream it, you can do it.”

Walt Disney

What is a goal?

A goal is something you want to achieve. It could be a personal ambition or a group objective. It is an idea that you envision and then plan and commit to fulfilling.

The Importance of goal setting

The process of setting goals helps us psychologically to encapsulate an idea and commit us to action. Working towards a goal gives us the feeling of positive forward movement.

It also helps practically as setting goals allows us to quantify our end-state and qualify our success. Having a set goal allows us to measure our progress and reflect and learn as we work towards it.

Setting goals allows us to know when we have succeeded in something and provides the opportunity to celebrate when we achieve the goal.

“We aim above the mark to hit the mark.”

Ralph Waldo Emerson

The Importance of Plans

Whether you are an individual thinking about a career change or personal development, a team undertaking an innovative project, or a large organisation rolling out a new strategy you will need a plan of some sort.

Action plans do not need to be overly complicated. For example, at the simplest level, to-do lists and shopping lists can be crude but effective action plans.

If you are an individual aiming to achieve a simple goal such as going on holiday the details of the plan will, of course, be very different to a large multinational corporation making an action plan for launching their next product. But despite this, the initial questions that you need to ask are very similar.

The steps to making a plan and achieving your goals

To achieve the goals you just need to follow these simple steps and create your plan:

1. Ask yourself why do you want to do the thing you are thinking about?

Asking why helps to work out what you value and what motivates you.

To find out more about discovering your principles, passions and priorities go to the post What are your personal values?

2. Work out where you are and where you want to go

You need a start point and an endpoint. First think about your present situation, where you are now. This situational analysis helps to set the context for starting out with your goal.

Next, think about where you want to be when you have succeeded in your goal. This is the vision or dream you want to achieve.

If you want more help in developing your vision statement read What is a vision statement and why are they important?

3. Define what your overall mission is and what success looks like.

Now that you worked out where you want to get to you can define what the endpoint actually is.

Describe exactly what success looks like; the criteria that show exactly when you have achieved your goal. This is your goal or mission statement.

For more detail on this process have a look at What is a mission statement and why do you need one?

4. Think about which ways you could achieve success and consider the advantages and disadvantages of each option.

There are different routes you can take to achieve the goal. Which one seems the best? Think about what the risks might be and what advantages and disadvantages there are to each option. Then you can work out what you believe to be the best option to choose.

For more help with this section have a look at Which is your best course of action?

5. Pick your preferred goal and work out how you are going to achieve the goal.

Now that you have considered the options and picked your favourite you can start to plan how you are going to achieve it. Think about: What are the steps you need to take? What resources might you need?

For more detail look at How do you set goals, tasks and milestones for a plan and also Setting goals and tasks the SMART way.

6. Break the goal down into steps, noting who can help you.

You don’t have to do everything on your own, even if this is a personal plan rather than a group one. As you break down the goal into steps think about who might be able to assist you or give you advice.

If you would like to find out more about this step read Networking and the power of relationships in building a team.

7. Schedule the individual steps into your diary to define when you will achieve them.

Now that you have a list of steps you can put them into your diary. I tend to keep my list of goals and steps on my phone then prioritise them and put the most important next steps straight into my diary. A step should be easily achievable, something you can do in minutes or at most hours. The one most important thing you need to do should be the next thing in your diary, even if that’s a simple 5-minute task such as making a phone call.

Picking the right time is also important. For more on this have a look at The secret of perfect timing.

“When it is obvious that the goals cannot be reached, don’t adjust the goals, adjust the action steps.”

Confucius

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Asking The Right Questions to achieve goals

This process reflects The Right Questions decision-making process and can be applied quickly – as a rapid problem-solving method – or in a more lengthy in-depth study to formulate a detailed plan or strategy.

The Right Questions planning process employs the seven basic interrogatives in the English language (why, where, what, which, how, who, when) to provide an easy to remember and holistic approach to problem-solving.

You can find out more about The Right Questions and how to apply them via the following link:

What are The Right Questions for Decision Making and Strategic Planning?

Goal setting and personal plan templates

Whether you are doing a quick appreciation of a situation or looking at a problem in greater detail it is useful to create a simple summary of your conclusions. Practically it is useful to have this summary on a single piece of paper that is quick and easy to refer to and easily communicated or shared.

A personal action plan template can help you achieve this headline view of the challenge you are facing and remind you of the critical factors you need to address. If you post the action plan in a prominent place – be it your noticeboard, fridge or computer screen – it will also help to keep you accountable to the next steps you need to take in your plan.

Here is a simple pdf template (pictured below) to capture your personal plan for achieving goals. You can download the template for your use below:

We know that building a team is not all about ‘trust falls’, away days and retreats. Therefore, how can managers build lasting bonds and the kind of trust that makes teamwork a breeze?

I started off my career as a Bomb Disposal Officer in the Army, working in situations where working well together as a team was potentially a life or death situation. Since then, as a consultant and leadership coach, I have worked within and alongside organisations in the commercial, governmental and voluntary sectors, equipping teams with the skills they need to be more effective in working together. The bulk of my work revolves around facilitating strategy, giving people the tools they need to make good decisions, and through this building teams that are resilient to change and uncertainty.

There is not always the luxury of having time out and fun activities to build a team. Fortunately, these things are not actually necessary. You can build a successful team in the harshest of environments if you understand certain fundamentals. Here are the things that I have found are most effective in turning a bunch of individuals into a high performing team.

“Great things in business are never done by one person. They’re done by a team of people.”

Steve Jobs

Be a leader who understands how teams develop

A well-functioning team is dependent upon good leadership. If a team is failing in some way, then the manager has to make the assumption that they have to shoulder the bulk of the blame and take responsibility for finding a solution.

One thing that can really help a leader build and manage a team is understanding the natural evolution that a group goes through on the way to becoming an effective team. One great model of this that I have found particularly helpful (and memorable) is the Tuckman Cycle. Bruce Tuckman did research that demonstrated that every team goes through stages of:

• Forming
• Storming
• Norming
• Performing and
• Ajourning

A manager can do things to speed the process through these steps to the performing stage. It is especially important to get through the painful ‘storming’ phase but you cannot completely short circuit the system to get straight to performance. There has to be some pain to get to the gain.

Another model, the Drexler-Sibbet model of Team Performance, is a helpful complement to the Tuckman model. The Drexler-Sibbet model poses a set of questions that a team needs to work through in order to progress through each level of performance. As a leader, this is invaluable in working out how to support the team best.

You can see how the two models combine in the picture below.

All teams experience a level of change and you can progress or regress through these models. Therefore a leader needs to assess which stage their team is at and how to answer the key questions. A good leader thinks of strategies to facilitate progress towards peak performance. These can be planned from the beginning.

Gather people to a common vision and set of values

One thing that can help people quickly form as a team and work through initial ‘storming’ challenges is to have a vision for people to gather to and for them to share a common set of values. People need to know where they are going and how they are going to get there. A clear mission gives people the definition of success they need to make progress, while shared values and principles provide the guidelines for behaviour and decision-making that will shape the journey. If these are established early on it will help attract the right team members and then engage people effectively so they can quickly get to the settled ‘norming’ phase.

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Invest time in individuals

Stephen Covey wisely said: “Seek first to understand, then to be understood.” This is vitally important for the leader and manager. It is very easy to plough into a team environment and start pushing people to do things in a particular way but investing in individuals first can save a lot of time, effort and heartache.

Listening to your team members and understanding the needs and desires of your employees (as well as their skills and experience) will contribute to the effective management and working of the team. Giving time to individuals builds up capital in the relational bank account; an investment you can then draw upon when challenges hit, but hopefully with less chance of going overdrawn.

Give people clear roles and responsibilities

Team members, as well as needing to know where they are going, also need to know their part in the plan. Their roles and responsibilities need to be clearly laid out in such a way that they should be stretched but be able to play to their strengths. One of the most successful tools for establishing the roles within a team is the Belbin Team Roles model.

Meredith Belbin did extensive research into how effective teams function and worked out that there are nine functions or roles that need to be fulfilled for a team to work properly. Some people may take on more than one role but all the following bases need to be covered:

• Plants are highly creative and good at solving problems
• Resource Investigators connect with the world outside the team, bringing in external views on opportunities and competition
• Monitor Evaluators provide a logical, impartial view and help to weigh up options
• Co-ordinators focus on the objective and delegating tasks to team members
• Implementers plan and implement a workable strategy
• Completer Finishers bring high standards, see errors and add polish to the final solution
• Team workers help the team gel and identify things that need doing to help the team
• Shapers challenge and provide momentum by driving the team forward
• Specialists provide in-depth knowledge within a key area

The approach is explained more fully in his book Team Roles at Work (2010).

Overcoming challenges together

When people know where they are going, how they are getting there and what their role is then work starts getting done efficiently. At this point, the team can grow together as they face and overcome challenges together. Successfully tackling a work problem can bring more progress than a plethora of away-days. Helping someone through a problem is far more productive than catching someone in a ‘trust fall’ exercise. The important thing for the manager to remember at this point is that they need to be playing their part in the team, bringing leadership, keeping up good communication, supporting individuals and helping the team to make decisions.

Celebrating success

Finally, when something is done well it should be celebrated. This does not mean popping the champagne (although there are times for that), it could be as simple as praising a team member for a job well done. This should be done in a team or public setting so that people can share in the success and be encouraged to press forward in what they are doing. Then, at the end of a project, throw a party.

Congratulations, you have a fully functioning team!

So is a business case just about money or not? There are differing views:

“Business, that’s easily defined, it’s other people’s money.”  Peter Drucker

Disneyland is a work of love.  We didn’t go into Disneyland just with the idea of making money.”  Walt Disney

There is something of a paradox at work here.  If people are fulfilled in their jobs then they would say that they are not working just for the money. But equally, a business will go under unless it can turn a profit.

The bottom line is cash

Warren Buffett, Steve Jobs, and Alan Sugar are men who have made a lot of money. They all know the importance of being profitable. But, even after they made enough money to retire comfortably, they worked on; why? It is obvious that these men (who all know the importance of a good business case) have another drive. There is a greater vision and mission. These go beyond just cash flow and profit.

A business case has to look at the bottom line, the money. But in general, it is primarily a formal way of expressing the vision, values and mission of an organisation.  Developing a business case can seem like a daunting process at times. Particularly so, as there are so many different templates and examples available. But the core of the business case is very simple; it is just answering some basic questions, questions that are covered in The Right Questions framework.

At some point for a business plan, you will have to prove the figures. This means examining the detail of profit and cash flow. But for now, we are just going to concentrate on the top-level questions. These are the strategic framing of the business; seeing where what we are passionate about intersects with an opportunity to create revenue.  In this way, we can help identify our vocation.

What makes you and your product or service different?

A business case is generally focused on the need to make money; if a business proposition doesn’t demonstrate the ability to make money it has to be adapted or discarded. But, the ability to make money is driven by the fact that something you do or make should be attractive enough to make someone buy that service or product.  You need to stand out, make yourself different from the competition, to give you that competitive advantage. This is your unique selling proposition (USP).

Working out what makes us different is not always obvious.  Not many of us launch a completely new idea or industry.  In fact, it is a fallacy that you need a completely new concept to be an entrepreneur or successful business person.  It may not be a completely new idea or product but you certainly need to do something different in order to stand out.

For example, you might offer better customer service or better value for money than the competition. Or you may pursue a particular under-exploited section of an existing market. If you are just starting up you need to make the offering attractive enough for people to buy your product or service, rather than those of the competition. You also need to overcome the buyer’s concern that purchasing from a new business might be risky. But, if you solve the customers’ problems sufficiently, they should need and want what you sell. That is the best incentive for getting people to buy anything.

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Finding your USP

We find that it is primarily our character and abilities that make us stand out from other businesses.  Therefore to identify what makes us different we can start by looking at ourselves and look at where our values, our skills and a need in a market all intersect.  From this, we can see what makes us unique.

After that we can look at the broader marketing narrative and answer the sort of questions we find more commonly in a business case.  By going through this process we get a good overview of why the business exists, what it is going to do and indicate how it is going to make money.

Therefore as we continue to ask ‘The Right Questions’ you will find that you will naturally find the answers you need to build a business case. If you want to go through the process of writing a business case then read How to Write a Business Case:

You will always be better or worse at various things compared to other people.  It is a simple fact of life, so rather than fighting against that or hiding your weaknesses, how much better, to be honest, and find other people who can balance out any shortcomings? The starting point for finding these people is your personal network. The best folk who can help you and you can help in return is your network.

This is the basis of a team: a complementary group of people who can achieve vastly more together than they can apart.  They are more than just the sum of their parts because when people are free to maximise their strengths, secure that others can work in areas where they are weaker, then their effectiveness is multiplied many times over.  Whether that is a team of just two people or an organisation of thousands, the principle still remains if there is trust and a complementary mix of people involved.

Here we are looking at key relationships rather than large teams; a network rather than a group that is already working together.  Who are the people who can really bring out the best in you?  They are likely to be people who you trust and respect implicitly.  These people could be family members, friends, a spouse or partner.

There is some truth behind the phrase ‘opposites always attract’ as, even when romance is involved, there is a balance between shared interests and complementary gifting.  When people have differences yet choose to operate together then one person’s weakness is covered by another person’s strength.

Start with the people you know

Who is in your network? Who are the key people in your social circles? It is worth spending some time really thinking through the most important relationships in your life.  These could be friends who have supported you or inspired you, people who have acted as a coach or a mentor, or folk who have been teachers or confidants.  These people are your closest and most important network and yet they are often overlooked or taken for granted.  If you need assistance, advice or even a business partner this should be the place where you start your search.

Networking can act as a trigger. As you identify people and think about how they have helped you, it can help you to discover areas in your life where there is a gap; somewhere you might like someone to play the role of coach, friend or partner.  Once you are consciously aware of the need you are more likely to find the right person to help fill the gap.  If they are the right person then they will be looking for you too – even if they don’t realise it yet!

“Alone we can do so little, together we can do so much.” 

Helen Keller

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Analysing your network

One think that can help understand your network better is creating a graphical representation. Draw concentric circles onto a page.

• The inner circle represents those you are in contact with daily
• The next circle out are weekly connections
• The third circle monthly
• The fourth circle for those you see yearly

Beyond that, the extra space can represent either people you have been out of contact with or those you might like to connect with but haven’t yet.

Now draw two lines through the circles (so it looks like a target) and create four quadrants. These can represent:

• Family
• Friends
• Colleagues
• Acquaintances

You can see an example below. If you want you can print this example off and use it as a template to draw on.

Once you have added enough names to your social circles you ask some questions to analyse your network. For example:

• Who can most help you with the challenge you are facing right now?
• If you could pick anyone for your team, who would they be and why?
• Which people are positive influences who you want to connect with more?
• Which people are negative or energy-draining? How can you manage them better?
• Who would you like to move closer to your inner circle?
• Is there anyone that you know of, but are not yet in your circles, that you would like to connect with? How could you be introduced?

So, take some time to think about who you know and unlock the power of your relationships. Have a go with creating your circles now.

“If I have seen further than others, it is by standing upon the shoulders of giants.” Isaac Newton

The World Cafe workshop methodology fosters an environment that develops good conversations. Similarly to the Gurteen Knowledge Cafe, the approach is designed to get authentic dialogues started. This encourages the sharing of ideas in a relaxed, informal and creative atmosphere.

The World Cafe system is facilitator-led and is based upon a specific method and seven design principles. By applying this tried and tested method, there is an excellent chance of producing innovative ideas and sharing knowledge that can be put into practice.

“No matter what people tell you, words and ideas can change the world.”

Robin Williams

When run properly, with the right balance of informality and structure, the World Cafe is a very effective way of facilitating a workshop. It can also produce a rich and innovative output.

Here is the method, the seven design principles and the etiquette for The World Cafe system:

The World Café Method

To organise and facilitate a World Cafe workshop follow these steps:

1. Create the Setting

Firstly you need to create a “special” environment.  This is most often modelled after a café; for example, small round tables covered with a tablecloth (preferably that can be drawn/written upon). In addition, you can then add some extra paper and post-it notes, coloured pens, and perhaps a point of interest such as a vase of flowers.

You can also use an optional “talking stick/spoon” item if you want to control contributions. By agreeing that only people holding the spoon can talk, and by sharing the spoon around equally, everyone gets to contribute without interruption. Ideally, there should be four chairs at each table. Although it is possible to have more it can become harder to facilitate.  It is likely to be more formal and harder for everyone to contribute if there are more than six or seven seats.

2. Welcome and Introduction

The overall host/facilitator begins with a warm welcome and an introduction to the World Café process.  They set the context, share the Cafe Etiquette, and put participants at ease.

3. Small Group Rounds

The process begins with the first of three or more rounds. These rounds of conversation happen for each of the small groups seated around a table.  These can last for twenty to thirty minutes each.

Participants are encouraged to write, doodle and draw key ideas on their tablecloths.  They can also note key ideas on large index cards, post-it notes or placemats in the centre of the group.

At the end of the time, the overall facilitator gets each member of the group to move to a different new table. They may or may not choose to leave one person as the “table host” for the next round.

Next, the table host welcomes the new guests and briefly shares the main ideas, themes and questions of the initial conversation. They then encourage guests to link and connect ideas coming from their previous table conversations; listening carefully and building on each other’s contributions.

By providing opportunities for people to move in several rounds of conversation, ideas, questions, and themes begin to link and connect. As a result, this helps to develop a broad and divergent discussion of each topic.

4. Questions

Each round is prefaced with a question designed for the specific context and desired purpose of the session. Therefore, the questions or issues that are chosen for each table should genuinely matter to the life, work or community that participants are engaged in. Consequently, the same questions can be used for more than one round, or questions can be built upon each other to focus the conversation or guide its direction onwards.

5. Harvest

Next individuals are invited to share insights or other results from their conversations. This is done with the rest of the larger group.  This can happen after the small groups and/or in between rounds, as desired.

This period of sharing discoveries is initiated so those insights can be highlighted to the whole group. Furthermore, these whole group conversations help in the cross-fertilization of ideas.  In this way patterns are then identified, collective knowledge grows, and new possibilities for action emerge.

These results are reflected visually in a variety of ways, most often using graphic recorders in the front of the room.

After the last round of conversation, people can return to their home (original) tables to synthesize their discoveries. Or, they may continue travelling to new tables, leaving the same or a new host at the table. Sometimes, after the last planned round, the facilitator may choose to introduce a new question that helps to deepen the exploration for a final round of conversation.

The World Cafe Design Principles

These are the principle behind The World Cafe workshop:

1. Clarify the Context: It is important to clarify the purpose and broad parameters within which the dialogue will unfold.
2. Create Hospitable Space: Ensure the welcoming environment and psychological safety that nurtures personal safety and mutual respect.
3. Explore Questions That Matter: Make sure you focus the collective attention on powerful questions that attract collaborative engagement.
4. Encourage Each Person’s Contribution: Enliven the relationship between the “me” and the “we” by inviting full participation and mutual interaction.
5. Cross-pollinate and Connect Diverse Perspectives: Intentionally increase the diversity and density of connections between perspectives while retaining a common focus on core questions.
6. Listen Together for Patterns, Insights, and Deeper Questions: Vitally, encourage shared attention in ways that nurture coherence of thought without losing individual contributions.
7. Harvest and Share Collective Discoveries: Make collective knowledge and insight visible and actionable.

The World Cafe Etiquette

In addition to the design principles there are some simple rules of etiquette that help to get the most from a World Café workshop:

1. Focus on What Matters
2. Contribute Your Thinking
3. Speak Your Mind and Heart
4. Listen to Understand
5. Link and Connect Ideas
6. Listen Together for Insights and Deeper Questions (Playing, Doodling, Drawing are all encouraged!)
7. Have Fun!

In my experience the bit that is most important (and people most struggle with) is the listening part. If people are bursting to share their ideas then they often find it hard to listen properly!  If you would like to read more about effective listening then check out my post entitled Are You Really Listening?

“Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I learn.”

Benjamin Franklin

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Other Workshop Facilitation Methods

If you are looking for other innovative and effective ways of facilitating meetings and workshops then I can recommend Nancy Kline’s book, More Time To Think.  In the book Nancy explains how to foster a Thinking Environment for individuals and groups in a way that values and captures their best thinking.

Want to Find a Facilitator?

If you want to find a professional facilitator to help with running your workshop please do drop me a line via my Contact Page

References

The World Cafe (2018) http://www.theworldcafe.com

Kline, N (2009) More Time to Think, London: Fisher King

What is the best way to set goals? How do you then create a plan to achieve them? How does a goal differ from a task or a milestone?

Creating a plan to achieve success is all about breaking down our overall vision and mission into smaller, measurable goals. From there we can deconstruct the goals to the point where we have a simple activity, a next step, that is achievable and easily actionable.

In this post we will look at the importance of having a plan, and remaining flexible, then drill down into how to break down the various goals right down to the next actionable step.

Have a plan but remain flexible

Whether you are leading others or just yourself, you are much more likely to succeed – in whatever you want to do – if you have done some planning. If you can produce some sort of written plan, so much the better; especially if you need to communicate your ideas with other people.

Going through the process of breaking down a mission statement into goals and steps is a large part of the planning process. When these tasks are connected to the people, resources and time needed to achieve each one then we have a plan.

When planning there has to be a balance between getting the detail we need to take action, while maintaining flexibility to adapt to the situation and unforeseen circumstances. To do this we concentrate on developing more detail for the activities that are closer in terms of time than those that are further off. The more distant the task, the broader and more flexible the approach can be. Circumstances will inevitably force you to amend your plan; hence the process of planning is more important than the plan.

“Plans are worthless but planning is everything.”

Dwight Eisenhower

Turning mission statements into action

To take a mission statement and turn it into something actionable we need to break down the overall mission into constituent parts. We then end up with a hierarchy of larger down to smaller activities. These various elements can be called different things but I tend to use these planning terms:

Example of breaking down a mission statement into objectives

Here is another example to explore this concept further:

After a long period of busyness, I feel the need for a break. I want to relax, recharge and enjoy some time away from the hustle and bustle of life. I love travelling and exploring the outdoors, as well as relaxing and generally having fun. These are my drivers, my why (principles, passions and priorities) for something I want to do.

I have a dream of lying on a pristine beach, listening to the waves rolling in, basking in the warm sun and sipping an ice-cold cocktail. This is the vision, the idea of a better future that I want to create. This relates to the where stage in The Right Questions approach.

The mission (the what) is the more tangible expression of what success looks like. In this case that could be ‘to go on vacation for two weeks to enjoy some sun and surf’. That mission statement becomes the tangible headline to our plan;

There are various options I could look at by which I could achieve this mission. I might consider going to the Florida Keys, to Spain or the Maldives; but in this case, I am thinking I want to go to the South of France. This choice of options becomes my primary goal or objective under the mission statement.

The planning now involves breaking this chosen goal down into all the constituent tasks such as booking the holiday, the budget and planning the travel.

Planning to achieve goals

Travel is a major factor in the success of the holiday. The journey then becomes a goal in itself — one objective that needs to be successful for us to achieve our dream – and therefore it requires further planning. It is effectively a mini-plan within the greater plan.

Say I choose to drive.  It is a long drive from London to Marseille and so it makes sense to break down the route into stages. With the aid of a map, we could very quickly come up with a plan showing each road as a task and the major cities along the way – London, Paris, Lyons and Marseilles – as the milestones.

Crossing from England to France using the Channel Tunnel could be considered one task but it too can be broken down into several steps such as: purchasing a ticket, passing through passport control and customs, boarding the train, making the crossing and then disembarking.  These are all sub-sets of the activity. Some of these activities may require further thought and planning, and so on.

I work out that the most important thing I need to do next is to book a ticket for the crossing on my preferred date. This becomes my next step; the tangible, achievable next action that takes me a step closer to my mission and vision.

So we see here how in our planning we connect the overall vision and mission through to the small steps we need to make.

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Stretch goals

The previous example was a simple one but when we are looking at larger dreams we have in life, and medium to long-term objectives, it is important that we set ourselves goals that are really going to stretch us.  These goals should take us outside of our comfort zones and force us to learn, to grow and to depend upon others.  In other words, there should be a reasonable chance of us failing.

Fear of failure is one of, if not the major factor in not achieving our dreams.  But we should never make a decision out of fear; if we bind ourselves by only contemplating the things we know we can achieve we will stop ourselves from ever doing something really outstanding.  The goals that seem unreachable are the ones that are the most rewarding and life-changing.

Challenging goals also inspire others and one story that has inspired me is the story of Jim Lawless. He set the goal (actually the result of a bet) that he would compete as a professional jockey. Given that he was thirty years old and overweight, had only a year to achieve the task and yet had never ridden a horse before, made that a real stretch goal! You can read the whole story, how he achieved his goal along with the lessons he learned, in his excellent book Taming Tigers.

A stretch goal is the sort of goal that borders on unrealistic. It is generally something that will require some time to achieve, possibly years, and has a large element of risk involved.  It is the sort of thing that you could fail in, but by succeeding you could achieve a significant step-change.

Audacious Goals

Jim Collins, in his book Good to Great, describes a stretch goal as a ‘Big Hairy Audacious Goal’ or ‘BHAG’ (pronounced bee-hag).  He postulates that people and companies that set themselves BHAGs are the ones that have the potential to become great.

If you aim high you may miss the mark but even so, you will most likely strike higher than you would otherwise have done.  The fact is that if you aim low you then you will hit low.

“A goal is not always meant to be reached; it often serves simply as something to aim at.”

Bruce Lee

One stretch goal or ‘BHAG’ I set myself was to run The Dragon’s Back Challenge, reputedly the hardest mountain race in the world. To complete the race you need to cover over 300km of mountain terrain in 5 days. Not surprisingly there is a high failure rate. Fewer than 50% of those that start the race actually complete it. Signing up for the race was exciting and daunting in equal measure! Once committed it was important that I created a plan for my training and for the race itself.

Questions for goal setting

If you are trying to think of your next stretch goal, here are some good questions you can use to generate ideas. I often use these questions while coaching and can be used with tools such as the GROW model:

• What should I do? What do you feel obliged to do or responsible for doing?
• How should I logically proceed? What goals are a logical progression for you if you continue in the same direction or on the same course?
• Which goals keep coming up again and again? What are your deja vu goals – the things you want to achieve but have never got around to?
• What would someone else tell you to do? Think about it from somebody else’s perspective. What would your family/friends/colleagues expect or hope for you to do?
• Describe your deep wants. What are the desires and heartfelt passions for things you want to achieve?
• If you could have anything, what would you wish for? If someone could wave and make anything happen, what would that be?
• What are your happy wants? Which ideas, pictures or dreams give you the greatest feeling of contentment?
• What are your secret goals? Are there private, secret, ‘naughty’ dreams that you have? The ones you might feel are stupid to share or too personal to tell people?
• When might you have done things differently? Do you sometimes think, if only I could go back, rewind time and choose another path? What would that be?
• Which goals excite you? What makes you think ‘wow!’ Which ideas and dreams give you real energy?

Tasks and Milestones

Once we have a goal we can consider what tasks and milestones will help us achieve our aim.

What is the difference between a task and a milestone? A task is best defined as a piece of work, an activity, that has a certain duration. A milestone is an event, a point in time, that indicates important stages of progression.

Examples of tasks and milestone

Let’s look at another example and consider the relatively simple task. I recently had to get a new garden shed so let’s use that. Building a shed is a  relatively straightforward construction process but it is still sensible to break the project down into tasks and milestones.

Here are some examples of activities and events, see if you can decide which are tasks and which are milestones:

• Work out what type and size of shed you need
• Select the best shed to suit your purpose
• Purchase the shed
• Shed is delivered
• Prepare the ground
• Erect the walls
• Construct the roof
• Fit the door and windows
• Furnish the shed ready for use
• Start using the shed

In this example the majority of the items listed are tasks, but the shed being delivered and starting to use the shed could be considered as milestones. Note the difference here is that a task is something that requires a duration of time to achieve, whereas a milestone is a moment in time; a threshold or gauge of significant progress.

To explain this in another simple way, let’s use the running analogy again. For each day of the race, I had to cover 60-70km on average. Each day was broken into four stages. The task was to run the next 15-20km stage in the shortest duration possible. Any rest stations or checkpoints after each stage on the route would equate to milestones.

So, in summary, you complete the task (the activity) and then pass the milestone (the progress marker).

The next step

The final constituent part of our planning is the ‘step’.  This is the smallest and yet probably the most crucial part.  Defining the first or next step is important because many jobs and goals are never initiated, as it is too daunting to start, or they stall because the next step is not defined.

“When it is obvious that the goals cannot be reached, don’t adjust the goals, adjust the action steps.”

Confucius

There is something of a psychological barrier when getting going.  A clean sheet can lead to a mental block.  To overcome this an artist may give a blank canvas a simple wash of colour that will be painted over, and a writer may type a few lines on an empty page that may later be deleted.  For us, we need to make a small step in the right direction to get over the inertia when starting up.

Breaking it down

Going back to the running analogy, when I have completed ultra-marathons I have had to set myself literal steps as I have become tired. I might tell myself, ‘just run to that next tree’ or ‘run for 50 steps, then you can walk for 50 steps.’ When you still have 50 km of a 100km race to go it can seem really daunting. Just focussing on the next few steps or next few minutes of activity can reduce the chances of becoming overwhelmed and stop you from giving up.

One useful strategy when starting a project is to break down the first task into an easy step that can be completed in about 30 minutes.  If it can be done in 5 minutes even better!  If we cannot do it right now then we plan to do that one step at the beginning of the next day and make sure we set another step for the following day.  As things gain momentum you will find that it is easier to get into the work and complete your tasks, even if they require more time.  The key is often just getting going.

So, to get to that point, remember STEP:

• Start with the overall success or mission statement
• Target success by identifying the key goals that need to be achieved
• Evaluate these goals, breaking them into tasks and activities
• Plan the next step, making it small enough to be achievable

Planning exercise

Now its your turn.

Think of something you need to do. Pick something relatively simple but with enough complexity to test the process. That could be planning a holiday or business trip, purchasing a new phone or computer; have a think a use a real goal that you need to achieve.

Work out your mission statement and then follow the process, breaking things down until you have the next steps you need to achieve. These are the ones that need to go in your diary or be done right now!

Congratulations, you are a step closer to achieving your mission!

If you would like more help with planning, including a free template for your plan, you can look at the post, How to make an action plan to achieve your goal.

What resources do you need to achieve your goal? How do you estimate those resources for your plan? Which ways can you get the resources you need?

Quite often we limit ourselves and our plan to our present resources.  After all, it is reasonable to ask ‘Which holiday can I afford?’ before going and booking one.  Budgeting is good stewardship and I would certainly not recommend getting into debt on a whim.

But we will never be able to dream big or make macro leaps forward if we limit our goals to what we can achieve with the resources we have now.  It is better to first ask what we are passionate about doing, working out the resources required, and then thinking creatively of ways to get what we need.  That is why this question comes some way down the planning process.

The importance of logistics

An army needs logistics. A large portion of every military is concerned with delivering the right resources to the right people in the right places.  In fact, there are many more logisticians than infantry soldiers in the average army.  But the army does not exist for logistics. It has a mission to achieve. That aim is very rarely just to do with just moving men and equipment from one place to another.  Logistics is a large and essential part of achieving your aim. But it is there to support the mission, not to drive it.  History testifies to the fact that an army will beg, borrow and steal if necessary to get the job done if (or rather when) logistics fail.  You can still achieve your aim when resources are difficult to come by if you remain focussed; as the United States Marine Corps would say: you just need to ‘improvise, adapt and overcome!’

The right motivation is key

This is because there are very few times when finances and resources are fixed.  A compelling vision inspires us to innovate and save. It motivates us to earn and raise the funding that we need and find the tools to get the job done.

Why is it that many people who win the lottery often struggle. Why do they end up having spent their money within a few years?  The gambling industry sells winning as the dream; it does not provide a vision for what comes beyond that.  Many people who win do not have a clear idea of what they want to do with the money. They might take a nice holiday and pay off the mortgage but that is not a grand vision. Anyway, these things can be done without playing the lottery or the roulette wheel.

People who make (and keep) large amounts of money use it productively. Resources that continue to grow are usually driven by a vision beyond that of just making cash.  Bill Gates, the richest man in the world for most of the last decade, was not motivated primarily by money.  When he started Microsoft with Paul Allen they had a vision of a computer in every home. This dream, of how computing could transform the world, drove Microsoft. It became the most successful software business in the world and made Bill Gates a multi-billionaire.

Money, Manpower and Materiel

So we start with the dream and then work out what we need to make it a reality.  When we need to make something happen it generally comes down to the three ‘M’s:

• Money
• Manning
• Materiel

Cash, workers and equipment are all important but it is usually the first element, the money, which drives others; so this is the primary consideration here (we will look at the people issue more under the Who question).

Estimating the cost

When we have our dream or our goal, we can start to put a cost against it.  If it is hard to assess the cost for a whole goal we can break it down, as we have done previously, and cost each constituent task or step.

Remember to put a cost against the time you invest in achieving the goal.  When doing something yourself you can feel you are getting it done for free but that is not actually true.  Our time is worth something, even if it is just the opportunity-cost of not being able to do something else while we are engaged with a task we have decided upon.

Often it will turn out cheaper to pay someone else to do a task that can be delegated as this leaves you just the things that no-one else can do and you will achieve your goal all the sooner.  We will look at delegation some more under the ‘Who’, but having broken down tasks and now putting costs to them will help you make decisions on the team you might need.

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Alternative funding

Once you have estimated a cost for each individual task you will get an idea of the budget for the whole project.  Once this has been done you can start to think creatively about how to reduce the costs. Or you can seek further resources in more inventive ways (and no I am not talking about stealing here!).

For example, instead of paying for a qualified professional, could you get someone to do the work voluntarily? Perhaps you could offer them experience as an intern? If someone is still in training or education they may value the experience more than pay.  Alternatively, think about what service or product you might be able to offer someone in return. Bartering is as old as trade itself but sometimes people forget it. I have used this sort of transaction in building my business. For example I have coached people in return for help with my website.

I used this method when I employed someone to develop my website. They worked on the website in return provided some coaching to help them further their career. It was an easy win for both of us, and no cash changed hands.

Fuel the dream

Considering the resources we need and how we are going to get them is an important aspect of how we make our dreams real.  An idea becomes a lot more tangible as we think about and assess the tools and materials we need for the job. It can take some time, and may not be as liberating as some of the big picture thinking, but it is important so stick with it!

“First, have a definite, clear practical ideal; a goal, an objective. Second, have the necessary means to achieve your ends; wisdom, money, materials, and methods. Third, adjust all your means to that end.” Aristotle