Studies have shown that unless you create goals and pursue them, they won’t happen. However, many times the skills you need to develop to achieve your goals are not obvious! There are three skills that will make the biggest difference in achieving your goals now and in the future.
3 Must-Have Skills for Success
1. Resilience
The capacity to recover quickly from difficulties; developing a toughness to bounce back. (Oxford Dictionary)
Resilient people learn from the inevitable mistakes and failures we all experience. However, resilient people refuse to get stuck. Instead, they take the time to objectively assess what worked and what didn’t work with an idea or project. Then, they create new opportunities to move forward.
Resilient people understand playing it safe and risk-free will sabotage their ability to create a great career and life. Remember, mistakes and failures are not always bad. (Harvard Business Review, April 2011)
Resilient people:
- Are coachable and expand their POV
- Listen to and incorporate new ideas
- Utilize critical thinking (e.g., ROI, strategy, impactfulness)
- Improve interactions and relationships to keep their teams engaged
- Share and listen to stories about lessons learned
2. Resourcefulness
The ability to find quick and clever ways to overcome difficulties. (Oxford Dictionary)
Being unstoppable when resources are not available is a critical skill to develop. It requires taking the initiative to find needed financing, build new marketing platforms, launch competitive products, etc.
When seeking new resources for ideas and projects:
- Establish the ground rules (e.g., target date, purpose, company and vendor policies, legalities, ROI, etc.). This provides the needed structure to build upon.
- Encourage out-of-the-box thinking through true brainstorming and off-the-wall ideas
- Address the impact of each decision being made. Quick fixes rarely work out well in the long run.
- Align everyone on the goal and focused-actions steps. Voting entrenches people in a negative “my way is the best way.”
- Manage for intended results by focusing on focused-action steps, not personalities
- Coach employees to move outside their comfort zones and take risks
3. Flexibility
The ability to change to suit new conditions or situations. (Oxford Dictionary)
“Success is never a straight line upward. There are a lot of curves and sharp points along the way.”
– Jeannette Seibly
When you are stubborn or believe things “should look” a particular way, you will fail to achieve your and/or the team’s intended results. Flexibility means adjusting for necessary changes.
Remember, change is going to happen with or without you. Start by being a change agent and embrace inevitable changes. Then, guide and train your team to do the same.
Effective change agents are flexible:
- Be clear on the vision you have for your goals and values of the company; these are a beacon for where you are going
- Do not become emotionally attached to “how the outcome should look”
- Do not change the goal to match current results (this is being too flexible)
- Ensure all changes are made with integrity and honesty. (Note: This process takes time; but, will make a significant difference long term.)
- During the change process, stay in active communication with others
- Join a mastermind group in your company or profession to help you expand outside of your box
About the Author:
Jeannette Seibly has been an award-winning champion for people and results, guiding bosses and teams to excel. During the past 27 years, she has been an executive coach and keynote speaker, and, the author of, It’s Time to Brag! Business Edition and It’s Time to Brag! Career Edition. She was recognized in 2019 with the SWE We-Local Denver’s “People Choice Award for Best Speaker.” Learn more about Jeannette Seibly and “Straight talk with dynamic results.”
Read more articles from Jeannette:
- Why the Best Leaders are Humble
- How to Stop Struggling to Be an Effective Communicator
- How to Show Sincere Gratitude as a Leader
- How to Work Smarter and Have More Personal Time
