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What Is The Foundation for Your Vision?
by Sue Miley
As a business coach people want to know how I can help such a variety of different businesses.
What I really do is help individuals to achieve their goals.
My style, which is an eclectic mix of many different ideas, focuses on a philosophical approach to success. I want to share one of these ideas with you. Some of you can follow this approach on your own without coaching. Others may want some additional support. But, here is one idea that may be of use to you in your business or career.
Value-based Strategies and Goals
The first step is to fully know and understand your values. Goals without values are hollow and result in strategies and plans that lack focus or eventually get off track. A set of core values will guide you to developing the strategies and plans that will achieve your goals. I will start with a personal example. When I embarked on a new career in coaching and counseling it was a core value for me “to help others”. No big stretch for a counselor right! But, the truth is, I am offered opportunities quite frequently to assist individuals or businesses that do not really want help. It is being pushed on them from their company or another source. Although it is quite a lucrative path, to do business coaching for large companies who want to change their employs, it didn’t feel like “helping people” to me. So I made the decision to not accept business from groups or individuals where the recipient of the help did not want it. It is very difficult to turn away sales/opportunities when you are an entrepreneur or small business. We want to say “yes” to every opportunity. However, in the end, if the opportunity does not match our values we will either 1.) waste valuable time we could focus on marketing to our target customer, or worse, 2.) do a poor job because our goals for our customer do not match their goals.
Another example. I have a client who is very, very talented. He is called on to use his talents in a variety of ways. When he came to see me it was because he was busy all of the time and stretched, but didn’t feel like he was moving his business forward. He would develop an avenue to grow his business that he was passionate about and then a short-term lucrative offer would come up and he would switch paths. In order to really make an impact in the world – which is one of his core values – his vision needed to match his values. Now as opportunities come available we measure them against his long- term vision. If they don’t match, he now let’s them pass. Simultaneously, he really began focusing on the strategies that would grow his business toward this vision and they are working.
All of the books say to write a mission statement or create a vision. Some will actually say to consider your values – not just pick a good idea. But the key to success (defined as achieving your vision – not the world’s definition for success) is to ensure our time and attention stay focused on this vision. This may mean giving up short-term worldly success. It may result in a slower start. It might mean telling someone you can’t do what they want you to do! Few people actually do this. But, if you talk to the people who do stay focused on their vision - and build their vision on a solid foundation of personal values - you will hear stories of success!
If you need help figuring out your vision, I recommend starting with the bible. Remember, God gave us our gifts and talents. I am confident that He has a plan for them.
Trust in the Lord with all your heart
and lean not on your own understanding;
in all your ways acknowledge him,
and he will make your paths straight. Proverbs 3:5-6
The bible may not tell us to be a doctor or musician but His word certainly guides us toward Godly values. If we combine our God-given abilities with His value system, a solid vision can be formed. Remember – if God is for us, who can be against us?
As we approach the New Year, this is a perfect time to think about your vision and contemplate your values. Do they match? If not, work on revamping your vision to build on a solid base of Godly values.
Sue J. Miley is a Business Coach and a Licensed Professional Counselor with twenty years of experience with starting businesses and divisions with an entrepreneurial approach. . If you enjoyed this article and are interested in more articles by this author and other free resources please visit our website www.crossroadcoach.com.
Coaching Available: Call Sue J. Miley @ 225-252-2202.
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