Obviously hearing an idea is not enough.  Neither is just writing down a goal or planning.  That will only get you half way there.  You not only need to commit to take action, you need to tell someone else what you will do and if you really want to be successful you need to enlist a partner who will hold you to word.  In other words, you need to create an accountability for yourself with a partner you can trust.  Now you don’t want someone who is going to act like a drill sergeant.  What you want is someone who will help you clarify your goal and how you will take action.  You also want them to be able to ask probing questions when you sit down to review your progress, what worked and what didn’t.  It often takes several iterations before you get something 100% right so you also want someone who will help you learn from what you have done and create new options for moving forward.  A friend or business partner can often be an effective sounding board.  However, our experience is that that while well intentioned, they may not be willing to ask you the tough questions.  You may want the expertise of someone who has the skill to help you to think through your options and put your plan into actions, as well ask the tough questions.  This is a role we play for many of our most successful clients.  Based on our experience with clients, here are some specific steps that can maximize results for you.

1. Take the time to think through the specific outcome you want to achieve.  Do so in detail so your brain can make a very detailed colored picture of what, when, where and with whom you want to achieve this outcome.  Neuroscience research shows that until you can visualize something in your mind you can’t create it externally.
2. Reflect on what achieving this outcome will mean to you, your business, and others it will impact.  This taps into motivation, a key element for getting results.  If your motivation isn’t high, then you need to consider why what can be done to remove obstacles.  You may need to rethink your outcome.
3. Next, lay out a plan of action with measures and commit to yourself and someone you trust to hold you accountable to follow through.
4. Schedule a meeting to review your progress and make adjustments to your plan.

While these action steps are probably not new to you, what may be is the idea that it takes reflective time to really create the internal image of what you want in a way that activates your motivation.  Neuroscience research indicates that you the brain does not distinguish between internal images and reality.  It treats them the same.  Further, you can’t create or move towards what you want unless you create a clear internal image.  Your outcome needs to be clear enough to tap into what is important to you and be specific enough to take action.  Once you have this clarity, the brain’s natural problem solving process starts generating options for creating results.  That makes the whole process much more fluid and easy.

Now I know this  isn’t rocket science, but why is it that people so often fail to follow through?  The biggest obstacle we see is that people just don’t take the time necessary to be clear about their outcomes.  Second, they avoid accountability to others.  In this case, the idea is really just a wish and not a commitment.  All it will generate for the person are future regrets that they did not follow through.

So if you are serious about results, follow these simple steps to implement the next great idea you hear.  And, call us now and set up a time to meet to put your business ideas into action.  We can even bring a few more to the table.  That is part of our expertise and the value added we bring to the table.

]]> http://www.cpsadvisorygroup.com/2009/05/19/maximizing-ideas-for-results/feed/ 0 http://www.cpsadvisorygroup.com/2009/05/19/the-future-is-here/ http://www.cpsadvisorygroup.com/2009/05/19/the-future-is-here/#comments Tue, 19 May 2009 11:15:17 +0000 http://cpsadvisorygroup.com/?p=108

“The Financial Service Industry as we new it has ceased to exist!”

This is a recent quote from the head of a major brokerage house.  It pretty well sums up the news and events of the last year and the market’s performance.  There has been a fundamental shift in the industry that is hard to ignore.  It has many people we talk to wondering what to do and how to talk to their clients. Some are even adopting a “wait for things to return to normal” approach.  However, we don’t think hope is a strategy.  So how do we cope with this fundamental shift?

What the future will bring is still just speculation.  However, we think that change is a constant we are going to have to live with.  There is also a much broader context we need to be aware of in thinking about our businesses and the world we will be operating in five to ten years from now.  The much bigger question is how to thrive in times of change. And, if change is a constant, how can we anticipate what opportunities lie ahead that can help us thrive?

We found this following video enlightening about the kind of changing times we live in.  So what does this suggest for the future of the Financial Service Industry? That is something we are talking to clients about every day.  We invite you to weigh in on the conversation by posting your comments below.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=cL9Wu2kWwSY