Do lost people, those folks who find themselves in a wilderness without a map or compass, actually walk in circles? According to the Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics the answer is “yes.” In a five-year study, conducted by this internationally respected research organization, it was determined that, absent some type of navigational device, people who think they’re headed in the right direction are usually wrong and end up walking in circles. Here are three significant findings of the study:
1. Without reliable cues for their walking direction, people who think they’re heading in the right direction do in fact walk in circles.
2. The perception of walking in a straight line or specific direction is highly unreliable.
3. Without a map or compass, people become increasingly uncertain about where straight ahead is.
To me, “Walking in Circles” is the perfect metaphor for what happens to an individual or organization that doesn’t have a plan – and a process – for helping them get from where they are now to where they want to be.
With the failure rate for small businesses in the US hovering at 95% annually and larger corporations struggling to connect their strategic plan with individual employee performance initiatives, there’s little wonder why the performance capacity – in both sectors of the economy – is less than desirable.
As the Cheshire cat told Alice (in the classic fable Alice in Wonderland) if you don’t care where you’re going, it doesn’t matter which path you take. Simply hoping you’ll get from where you are now to where you want to be is a recipe for sub par performance, frustration and low – or no – profitability.
Creating a simple but powerful One Page Performance Improvement Plan is easier than you think. An Outperformers Action Plan has three areas of focus – a clear vision for what you want to achieve – specific areas of focus to make your vision a reality – and a daily action plan to make sure high value activities end up on your calendar.
So.. how about you?
Do you have a plan/process for improving your performance and productivity?
Do you have a plan/process for improving your team’s performance and productivity?
Do you have a plan/process for connecting your strategic initiatives with individual employee initiatives?
Give me a call or send me an email and lets chat about how we can help you take your personal or organizational performance to a much higher level. Most importantly, let’s make sure you able to “Stop Walking in Circles” and get out of the wilderness of the status quo.