2 Actions To Take You To Your Next Level
This phrase has been on repeat in my mind lately: “what got you here, won't get you there.”
Before I circle back to management and leadership, let me share the two places I'm currently experiencing this concept.
#1 Triathlon - What got me here, won't get me there. I want to finish Boulder 70.3 this upcoming August with a time of 5:45:00. Last year I finished in 6:10:00. What got me to that time is not going to be what enables me to trim 25 minutes off this year. I've hired a coach for the whole season, I'm shifting my nutrition and training hydration strategy, and I have a more strategic training plan (yes, loads more intervals!).
#2 My Business - What got me to this level of success in two years won't be the same set of behaviors, tactics, and strategies that get me to my next level.
So what about people managers?
It's most apparent when we look at a newly promoted person. They killed it as a team member and now they're responsible for the growth, development, and performance of a team of people. What got them here, won't get them there.
Then keep going up the “ladder.” The differences between Senior Manager and Director, the differences between Director and VP. You get the idea.
So what do we do about it?
It's got to start with 1) Self Awareness and 2) Decisions.
Self Awareness
Grab a notepad and create two columns.
In the first column, what got you here? What skills got you into your seat? What behaviors have served you well? What do you love about what you bring to the table?
Capture these. Some of these will serve you moving forward. For example, discipline is a strength of mine. It's served me well in triathlon and it's served me well in my business. Elevating to my next level of each will still require discipline, so I'm not going to lose sight of it. But I need to understand the delta.
What's the delta? It starts by identifying what exists at my next “there.”
So in your second column, what will get you there? What's your next level? What will be required of you? What will be different at your next level than this level?
What are you seeing as the deltas between what's here at your current level and what resides at your next level?
And if you're more seasoned in management and leadership, there's probably something you're noticing as you look at what's required of you to get to your next level, and it might not be comfortable.
“The higher you go, the more interpersonal behaviors are the difference maker between good and great.” - Marshall Goldsmith
The higher you go, it's less about what you know than who you empower. The higher you go, it's less about talking and more about listening.
Decisions
Now here it comes…You have decisions about what skills and behaviors you want to prioritize with your growth.
What are you seeing as behaviors (habits likely as well) that need to take on a different flavor?
What are you seeing as skills you're needing to learn to elevate your game?
What will you decide?
What got you here, won't get you there. Let's get there together!
