Connecting the Dots

A leader gives a vision and shows the path.

To follow the path and to understand the vision and connect to it, is very challenging. As a leader, you have a very important role to play to inspire your team so that they follow the path towards your set goal.

One important aspect of all this is goal creation. Each of your team members has a personal goal for sure. Some say it. Some don’t. As a leader, you need to develop an environment where your team members can speak with you frankly. When your team members believe that you are working for “their” growth, they will surely open up and speak with you from the heart.

Communication plays an important role. With good and transparent communication, your team members will open up. They will tell you their likes and dislikes. Then you will come to know what makes your team member happy and what’s her personal goal in life. People feel shy talking about their goals. People feel that if they speak of personal goals that are not connected to her current business goal then she won’t be given a patient hearing. That’s why “listening” is so important. As a leader when your team member speaks, you should focus and listen rather than snapping in between. I have seen many times that candid conversations get broken because the leader snaps in between which makes the team member jittery and soon she goes in a cacoon. To have a candid environment it’s important that you let your team members speak. 

It’s very important to be a good listener too. 

Now, to be a good listener doesn’t mean that you stop talking altogether. You need to listen and ask relevant questions in between or validate or amplify what your team member is saying – that way your team member understands that you are part of the conversation. This is an activity that will take a lot of time investment but it’s worth it because knowing your team member and her goals is a part of your team-building exercise. Once you know your team member’s goals, you will be able to align her goals to your team’s and organisation’s goals.

Once your team member gets candid and shares with you, her goals and her passion, you will then be able to understand how you can connect it with her career. I had spoken about the 3Ps to success in one of my blog posts previously. It would be a good time to read that once again. 

Finding your purpose in life is not so easy because you need to connect the dots going backward. You will not be able to connect the dots forward. Simply because no one can predict the future. Hence, go back to your early teenage years and think about what work used to make you very happy. 

I once won an essay competition in school – that’s the only competition that I ever won in my life but that win made me happy and that inspired me to write small essays about my daily life. This turned into a dairy which I continued for quite some time before leaving that habit (wrong decision) after a few years.  Today if I am writing so much it’s only because I was able to connect the dots and realise that writing makes me happy – it makes me connect to my soul – it helps me to talk to the world.

Sometimes teenage years might not give you the right purpose. Sometimes it’s in the 20s so whatever be the age, find out what made you truly happy. 

Everyone is talented but some do certain things very easily than others. – That’s your special talent. That’s what you are good at. 

What you love to do (Purpose) and what you are good at (Passion) complete your 2 Ps. That’s your purpose and passion. Once that’s defined now connect your profession to it. 

Say you love to write and you write well then see if you are into the Content Development work by any chance? If not are you associated with sales or marketing? Media? Digital agency? Advertising? If yes, then the third P (Profession) gets connected and you will be happy at work. 

This is the work of the leader – to help you connect your dots – to help you in aligning your goal to the company’s goal and in turn, she helps you lead a purposeful and happy life at work.

Few things happen when this is accomplished.

1. You don’t get stressed at work because you are doing what you love to do and what you are good at and being paid for that. An ideal scenario for happiness. 
2. Your manager won’t stress you out because you are doing what you love to do and hence you get better at it every day and your manager is happy with your work. 
3. There is no micromanagement because as a leader you know, your team member is happy at work and will do everything in her capacity to reach her goals.
4. The team member feels happy with life and finally, it’s the happiness that counts in the long run.

In a corporate set up another aspect that bothers employees, is growth. Many feels stagnated after a few years. The question is why? Is it the money? If yes, then one should openly talk to her reporting head because you should be paid what you deserve and I am sure any company will pay the best possible salary for their superstars. Are you a superstar? If yes, then definitely your personal goal is aligned to your company’s goal and when you speak with your reporting head about your finances you will get a patient hearing.

So let’s recap.

Nobody wants to lead a stressful life and to remain stress-free at work, you need to align your personal goal to your company’s goal. 

For that to happen you need to find your purpose and passion in life by connecting the dots and see how your current profession can help you reach your goals. If it’s not connecting then this is not the right place for you. Do not stay in a company just for money because this will only lead to stress and unhappy life.

When you work, which makes you happy and you get paid as per your satisfaction then the world feels like a better place to live in. This work satisfaction will automatically help you in having a happy life at home too. This is an ideal work-life integration. People feel that you can’t reach that stage or most don’t reach that stage. Indeed, most do not reach this level of happiness because people measure happiness wrongly. People measure success wrongly. It should never be measured with the amount of money one has. What’s most important is are you leading a good life? Are you happy in your current profession? Is it helping you in finding your true purpose? Is the job helping you to reach your goals? Are you stressed? Are you having a lovely time with your family? When you have a positive answer to these questions – it means you are happy and finally that’s what matters.

As a leader, if you can help your team members find their true purpose in life and help them to be happy at work – remember you are doing an awesome job. 

Point to note: People working under great leaders are happier, more productive, and more connected to the company’s goals. Your company’s bottom line will be positively impacted if you as a leader invest in your team’s well-being. 

I keep telling, “Your NETWORTH is not the amount of money you have in your bank, nor the number of connections you have in social media but it is the number of Thank You’s you receive every day”. 

That’s how I measure success!

How do you measure? Have you been able to understand your true purpose in life? Do you want any help in connecting the 3Ps? Please reach out – I am always available.

Take Care everyone! God Bless!

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