Personal Effectiveness - The High Performance Planner
Caroline Fisher, PhD., Randy Alford, Susan Connelly	© & Author Info

Abstract

The ever-increasing pressure on government and other organizations and their employees to move faster and more efficiently, with more innovation, yet with constricted resources, can create situations in which employees become demoralized, dissatisfied and ineffective. Planners, like all knowledge workers today, must learn to adapt to the changing environment in which they operate and must maintain clarity about their mission, self-motivation, and the ability to be effective despite the pressures. Implementation of the nine strategies for personal effectiveness presented in this article will increase our ability to target and swiftly accomplish whatever goals we may set for ourselves and our organizations.

Introduction

"If only I had a different boss..." "If only the developers weren’t so hard to work with..." "If only residents would get involved in the process earlier, rather than at the last minute..." "If only we had more resources to work with... more money to attract good employees... more time to juggle the demands…" If only.

Such are the frustrations of life in the nineties: too many demands, not enough time or resources, and the increasing feeling that so many things are simply beyond our control. Customers, bosses and constituents expect more, delivered faster and better than ever before. Simultaneously, employees are demanding more—and are ready to take advantage of abundant job market alternatives if they don’t get it. All the while, changes in technology and the competitive landscape keep us continuously off-balance.

In the past, working hard and fast all but guaranteed success. Now, it’s increasingly apparent that an entirely new approach is required.

If we continue to apply old notions to a new world, we anchor our energies to the past. We become blinded to approaching signals and immediate feedback. We keep our critical attentions turned backward. It’s like trying to drive along an unfamiliar road while looking only at the images in the rear view mirror—a strategy that can produce little more than frustration and burn-out at best, or total obsolescence, failure and wreckage at worst.

This article advocates that a whole new approach to effectiveness—involving "state of being," attitudes and behaviors—is indeed required for success in this changed and changing world. It presents nine strategies for personal and organizational effectiveness that combine to create a new capacity for unconditional success.

Nine Strategies for Personal and Organizational Effectiveness

Whether in government, the non-profit sector, or private industry, everyone is experiencing the effects of acceleration. The pace of business, rate of change, and emergence of unprecedented challenges have begun to overwhelm our sense of order, threatening us with chaos. And the trend shows no sign of abating.

Many individuals and organizations are beginning to recognize that a long-term solution to the emerging chaos requires something more than yesterday’s pat answers: "work faster," "be smarter," "get more resources"... They recognize that an entirely new approach must be used to create success in this entirely new and rapidly-changing world.

We are learning that certain fundamental approaches to effectiveness can transform both organizations and the individuals within them. These elements create the framework within which success and results can be achieved in an entirely different way than used to occur in the past. Just as significantly, people are taking these concepts out of the realm of business and organizations, and applying them in their personal lives to achieve entirely new levels of success in their families and communities.

For decades, it seemed possible for individuals and organizations to get away with wandering through life, without a clear sense of purpose, vision or mission. There was limited competition, and resources appeared to be abundant. As long as we had a general notion of the direction we were going and were willing to work diligently, any road might get us there.

Today, the scenario is quite different. Competition is fierce and resources are scarce. Tremendous amounts of time, energy, and resources are often wasted by people who have lost focus—or have never been clear—on why they exist in the world and what it is, precisely, that gives meaning to their efforts. Today, success requires that we be extremely clear and focused about our personal, professional and organizational significance –understanding vividly how our daily actions impact our larger hopes and aspirations, on both the individual and collective levels.

When, as a member of teams and organizations, we share goals with others, it becomes equally important that we also work to create a shared understanding of the fundamental context within which we all will operate, so that, individually, everyone can bring their aspirations to life. Otherwise, people are likely to pull in different directions, guided by divergent demands and agendas—ultimately failing to accomplish anything that matters.

Values create the guideposts for effective living. Values guide behavior, decision-making, and interactions; they provide a framework that applies to any new situation that might arise.

Traditionally, individuals and organizations have relied on rules, policies and regulations to guide day-to-day operations and govern behavior—essentially seeking to "control" people through a detailed set of "do’s" and "don’ts". It is clear that in a slower world, in a more certain time, rules and regulations often worked effectively to guide behavior and decision-making. But today, there is an abundance of ambiguity and uncertainty; situations emerge rapidly that could never be anticipated or planned for. As a result, a lot of hard-and-fast "rules" have begun to create unintended negative consequences, from bogging down responsiveness to actually creating outcomes that conflict with the over-arching mission. Clearly, a much larger framework or set of general guidelines—as opposed to specific rules—now is required if we hope to be successful.

A clearly articulated set of values provides a foundation from which to choose and act, regardless of the uncertainty or newness of a situation. As the challenges we encounter become increasingly diverse and unpredictable, it is critical that we learn to make decisions with more speed, autonomy, and appropriateness. When people operate from a deep connection with core values (rather than an intellectual understanding of specific rules), they are able to choose appropriately and advance the action wisely. Their relationships (teams, organizations, families, communities) benefit from their powerful example as well as their increased effectiveness.

Thus, we are describing a transition away from a regulation-based approach to life (using rules that constrain choice in order to limit unwanted behavior; rules with which we expect others to comply) to a values-based approach using deep principles to set guidelines that promote successful human interaction—principles with which we expect ourselves and others to commit. Importantly, if we are truly to bring values to life in our organizations, families and communities, and it is imperative that we also create supporting mechanisms to help us hold ourselves accountable for "living them" on a daily basis. Such mechanisms (e.g., one-on-one agreements, behavioral descriptors and contracts, direct feedback and coaching) can help us all more effectively express and extend the influence of our values— whether as members of an organization or members of a family unit or community.

3. Create, Develop and Nurture Productive Relationships.

Our country was founded upon belief in the strength of the individual. Strong and powerful individuals have achieved great things. Now, however, because of the pace of change, the tremendous variety of available options, and the breadth of knowledge, information and skills required to achieve nearly any goal, it takes powerful relationships to achieve great things. Like it or not, we are more interdependent than ever and, consequently, we are challenged to collaborate as never before. This means a radical change in the ways in which we engage with others, choose our work partners and allies, align our goals with the goals of others, and leverage the many talents available through partnership.

Furthermore, it is important that we learn to stay in close, two-way communication with our collaborative partners, creating a vital flow of honest, direct and continuous dialogue. As life accelerates, we can no longer afford to waste time on misunderstanding or second-guessing. To be more effective partners and address others’ needs in the same ways we expect them to address ours, we must willingly offer the gift of trust while making ourselves vulnerable to the instructive gifts, feedback, and coaching of others.

For decades, we lived in an economy and society that often focused on activity rather than targeted action. This was demonstrated in the tradition of rewarding tenure (showing up to work for a certain number of years) more than achievement and in the measurement of hours clocked rather than what really was accomplished. As long as we "looked busy," often we were given credit for working hard. As a result, at the individual, team and organizational levels, we learned to focus on tasks rather than outcomes. Many of us even learned to be wary of achievement or accomplishment—fearful that it might translate into the imposition of more responsibility, increased pressure, and creation of unreasonable expectations.

Going forward, our relationship with results must change. Time, energy and resources cannot be effectively managed with a narrow focus on tasks. As we seek to shift our relationship with results, the place to start is an honest and rigorous examination of how we really feel about attaining results. What are the implications? How will we deal with them? Then, we must clearly define the specific results we seek and actively align our efforts to precisely target them. Our challenge is to ensure that each daily, weekly and yearly effort is vitally linked to our specific goals. If we wish to "succeed"—to be effective and satisfied—it is no longer acceptable to simply mark time or find comfort in busy-ness. A results-focus will help filter out the many distractions that can consume our time and prevent us from achieving our desired results.

Ours has become a society of blame: Who can I make responsible for my injury... for my unhappiness... for my failure? It is time to shift that focus. To ensure success at both the individual and organizational levels, it is increasingly critical that we look in the mirror before we look elsewhere to place responsibility for our lives, results and daily experience in the world.

The most effective way we can change the world is to start by changing ourselves—the way we view the world, the way we interact with others, the way we think about our problems and challenges.

To deeply understand how we might be getting in the way of our own success, we must take a long, honest look at ourselves. There is real power and advantage in understanding the linkages between what we believe, the way we behave, and the results we attain, and then taking responsibility for changing our approaches in order to get the precise results we want.

6. Recognize and Practice "the Power of Choice."

Especially during hard times or times when we feel "stuck," we often fail to see the role that our own choices have played in putting us precisely in the place in which we feel stuck. In today's fast-paced world, it is critical to recognize the link between the choices we have made and the disappointments/successes we experience.

It's not always easy to accept the consequences of personal choice. Once we state, however, we can begin to actually experience the power available to us to shape future outcomes. By boldly applying this awareness in our daily lives—in both our personal and organizational worlds—we will start to notice how the challenges we once created for ourselves can be transformed by the choices we now make and the actions we now take.

7. Refuse to Be "Victim.

Organizations and society at large increasingly have filled with victims—people who believe they are at the mercy of someone or something else … who believe they would be successful "if only" … who can only see the barriers against moving forward, not opportunities. This mindset creates a condition in which we become tentative and conditional in all our plans and expectations (and, therefore, in all our choices and actions), and in which we defer to circumstances, rather than "seizing the day."

One potent change we can make is to create a policy in our own lives—and in the operations of the teams and organizations of which we are a part—to stop waiting for someone else to act or give permission to act and, instead, to give ourselves the "okay" to start living life, making powerful choices, and becoming more effective. Regardless of our resources, positions or roles, we can have real influence on processes and impact on results.

There will always be barriers to our moving forward, whether they be limited resources, difficult people, or systems that do not provide adequate support. Going forward, it will be increasingly critical that we not fixate on the barriers, but see past them to the results we seek, and boldly find ways to handle any barrier along the way.

8. Take Risks.

Traditionally, we have sought "certainty" before making a decision, "safety" before expressing an opinion, and "guarantees" before making a change. It is becoming increasingly clear that there is no certainty, safety, or guarantees. (Perhaps there never was, we just wanted to believe so!) And in this fast-paced and rapidly changing world, opportunities not taken are often missed entirely.

The key to successful risk-taking, of course, is to have a clearly defined purpose, vision and mission—which will keep our intentions appropriately focused—and to have a clear set of values, which will guide our decision-making. Additionally, strong relationships with others will ensure that we get the feedback we need to see beyond our habitual blind spots in risky situations. With these elements securely in place, more of the risks we take will be truly in service to our goals, rather than creating diversions, indiscretions, or costly mistakes.

Importantly, when we do take a risk and apparently "fail," the degree to which we learn and grow from the experience can transform that failure into a different kind of success, one that actively supports us on our ongoing effort to achieve targeted results.

Modern society has created a lot of "slack" for us in our lives, allowing us to be complacent and ambivalent—in our work, family and communities. We have survived despite our hesitance. In the changing world, however, there no longer will be time, energy, resources or tolerance for ambivalence or hesitation.

• In this world, our power and effectiveness will arise from our ability to:
• Decide on the right vision and goals, and commit 100% to achieving them.
• Decide on our true values, and commit 100% to consistently embedding them inall that we think, say and do.
• Discern the options before you, and commit 100% to doing whatever it takes to get the job done.

Whether an intention involves being a more effective employee, a more contributing community member or a better parent, 100% commitment allows us to focus completely, strengthening our resolve against the diversions and distractions that can so easily consume our energy.

Significantly, it is at the point of 100% commitment—and not a moment before—that people begin to experience "synchronicity": the sense that "the stars and planets" seem to spontaneously align in support of a compellingly declared journey.

Conclusion

There’s no denying that the pace of life is increasing, and with it, the demands it places on each of us. A "tried and true" model that has created success in the past simply cannot promise equivalent results in the future. Effectiveness in a new and rapidly changing world demands of us a new approach—a whole new model that incorporates a new "state of being" and new attitudes and behaviors— at both the individual and organizational levels.

These nine strategies for personal and organizational effectiveness are known to promote clarity, focus and synergy in individuals and groups. Practicing the strategies helps us to assert personal control in our lives. They help us to rise above the feeling that "we are at the mercy" of multiple interests, demands, and agendas. They enable us to carve out the results we truly desire and to operate with a whole new level of performance.

This approach to business and to life has always been available to us, but never, in the past, has it been so critical as it is right now. When there was more stability, less competition, and fewer choices, it was easier to defer to circumstance and "coast" on others’ efforts. In this accelerating world of challenge and change, these nine strategies for personal and organizational effectiveness are becoming absolute requirements. In combination, they enable a whole new level of effectiveness—diminishing the chaos and blame, while increasing our ability to more clearly target and swiftly accomplish whatever goals we may set for ourselves and our organizations.

Caroline Fisher, Ph.D., ARC International Ltd.

Randy Alford, ARC International Ltd.

Susan Connelly, City of Chicago Department of Planning and Development