The next series of blogs will continue to focus on Drive but I am writing them with the supervision at all levels of our company in mind. It doesn’t mean that someone not in supervision won’t benefit from them, but the content will be specifically targeted to the management of tasks or projects. We’ll be diving deeper into the “how to” of driving performance, describing potential steps and techniques to help each member of our team attain the results needed for both individual and collective success.
Before we do that, let’s revisit the definition of “drive.”
Going back to the blog Drive, I defined it as “a planned effort to cause something to progress.” I highlighted the words plan, effort and progress because of their critical roles in driving to success. Finally, I talked about energy – the force behind drive. In the end, it takes work – energy executing a plan – to hit targets and goals. There’s no way to get around the work it takes to achieve goals!
As we are now on the same page in terms of our understanding of drive, there is another element we need to focus on. I didn’t amplify this key component of drive in my last blog, but it is necessary for success.
In the Drive blog, I briefly mentioned how athletes and actors drive their careers by practicing or doing the work necessary to get good at their sport or craft. All that practice and work takes an unbelievable amount of energy to achieve world-class status. Many highs and lows occur during the journey. Energy alone cannot be the only component of drive. Energy by itself is directionless. What channels the energy into the right direction or action? What keeps you going when you feel like you are running out of energy?
I believe that WILL is the rudder – to use a ship-based comparison – guiding the energy that propels drive to achieve something. “Will” is what points the energy in the direction you choose to go.
The Merriam-Webster online dictionary defines this use of “will” as a verb meaning to determine by an act of choice. An athlete makes a choice to expend the energy needed to achieve his/her goals. The stronger the determination, the greater likelihood of achieving the goal. The will locks on to the goal and provides direction to the energy, ultimately driving the plan to make the goal.
How does this relate to achieving goals at BIW? Well, it’s mostly the same process but with different goals – of course – and a few more people involved.
On a high level, the same principles are used, and it starts with the leader. The leader must drive to attain goals that help the company succeed – just like the athlete. To do this, the leader must share the goals with his/her team to make sure they all understand the target, why we are trying to achieve it and to status progress along the way. The will of the leader keeps the team focused on achieving the goal. As the team aligns, the team starts to help you achieve the goals you are trying to hit. Once you hit the goals, celebrate! That doesn’t mean a party, but it does mean some recognition for your team. Then move on to the next set of goals. Rinse and repeat – that’s what production does!
In the upcoming blogs, I will cover some steps that you can take to help make sure that you are successful in driving to and attaining your goals. These will be steps that I use in driving for results. I will keep them short so it doesn’t take so long to read (or write).
Drive your business! See you on the deckplates!
Safely Execute High-Quality Work