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More perspective in confusing times
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Gemma D'Auria, Senior Partner at McKinsey, has mostly been scheduled every half hour in recent years.
She traveled a lot and managed large projects.
She set professional goals for the next three months.
During the Corona period, it doubled this period to half a year.
"The uncertainty is enormous," she says.
This also applies to her upcoming move from Dubai back to her home country Italy.
"I also go through worst-case scenarios," says D'Auria.
"What if the schools are closed and my children can't find a connection?"
The counselor is a mother of four.
Bringing job and family under one roof is challenging even without relocation and a pandemic.
She is hardly planning any details at the moment, she reports.
"I concentrate on the next step - and keep thinking back to myself why I decided to do it."
The feeling of loss of control and helplessness is often followed by the impulse to do nothing at all.
However, that is exactly what would be wrong.
Not only for our performance, but also for our mental health, it is important to pursue goals that are important to us.
When we achieve these goals, we feel more satisfied and less stressed, as psychological studies show.
Our brain was not made for the great uncertainty that we experienced in the Corona crisis, says Heidi Grant. Basically it is still the brain of Stone Age people and needs a stable environment in which it can make simple predictions about the near future. Grant is Associate Director of the Motivation Science Center at Columbia Business School in New York and has written several bestsellers on goals, such as: "Succeed: How We Can Reach Our Goals". . Permanent insecurity overwhelms us mentally, the consequences are fears and depression, explains Grant.
Goals work in the opposite direction.
They give you security and the feeling of being in control of your own life.
When we achieve our goals, we ensure an effect that is described in research as the »expectation of self-efficacy«: the conviction that we can successfully cope with challenging situations.
In short: through goals we can strengthen ourselves mentally - and even achieve success under difficult circumstances.
But how do you optimally prepare for a year that doesn't seem to be predictable?
1. Plan in the short term
Intuitively, consultant D'Auria did just the right thing. It focuses more on the here and now. Scientist Grant also recommends this. Short periods of time increase the likelihood of correctly predicting what will happen. Careful planning, which you regularly review and adjust, is therefore all the more important. "If you would take one piece of advice from me, I'd give you this: Make a plan for how you want to get there," Grant says.
Countless people fail each year with well-intentioned endeavors like losing weight, exercising more, or drinking less alcohol. The problem: making a cloudy resolution is not a plan. The secret lies in setting realistic goals and breaking them down into milestones and regular, predictable successes. Methods such as WOOP or if-then plans help. You can also use the SMART formula: your goals should be specific, measurable, attractive, realistic and timed.
The important thing is: If you really want to achieve a goal, less is more. To understand it, it is worth digging deeper into motivational psychology. Karl E. Weick from the University of Michigan is one of the great organizational researchers of our time. He introduced concepts such as "mindfulness" and "sensemaking" into the academic discourse. Perhaps his greatest achievement, however, is his work on "Small Wins" - the "small successes". More than 30 years ago he showed that people »often define social problems in such a way that it is beyond their ability to do something against them«. Paradoxically with the result that "they can only solve problems if they think they are not problems".
The simpler the goal, the higher the probability of success. And the greater the success, the stronger the motivation to stay on the ball and to tackle larger, long-term ambitions. Weick therefore recommends proceeding in small steps, dynamically, and constantly realigning yourself. This takes longer and is reluctant to many managers who are interested in quick results. But it is the right way to move forward, especially at a time when circumstances are constantly changing and great goals cannot be reliably planned.
Set priorities, take the time to plan.
And formulate your goals in writing.
In a 2007 study, Gail Matthews, a professor of psychology at Dominican University in California, found that the chances of achieving a goal increased by 42 percent when it was written down.
Popular fallacies
Expand area
The self-help literature is overflowing with advice on how to achieve goals.
Not all of these make sense.
Here are a few common tips that you can safely forget.
AreaSet very ambitious goalsexpand
Particularly ambitious goals are particularly motivating because the goal seems particularly attractive, right?
That's right - but unfortunately only for a short time.
Think about New Years resolutions.
Many people plan to turn their lives upside down year after year - and fail again and again.
Since even small changes in behavior tend to be overwhelming, it is even less likely that we will succeed with ambitious goals.
Perhaps the ambitious plan may motivate for a while.
But as soon as everyday life is in your grip again, you lose sight of your goals.
You are also likely to suffer setbacks, which will gradually discourage you.
Better to start small and grow your goals step by step.
Imitate successful role models
Steve Jobs, Elon Musk, and Michelle Obama may be inspirational role models for many people. For Cologne residents maybe Lukas Podolski (the one with football). But don't fool yourself: you will never be as successful as your heroes. That's one thing. The other is that we greatly overestimate the true accomplishments of these role models. Extraordinary success is almost always due to extraordinary luck - and that cannot be planned. From a statistical point of view, an extraordinary success is almost always followed by a fairly ordinary achievement - this also explains the phenomenon of the many one-hit wonders in the music business. The problem with the human need for role models is that they lead us to risky behavior.Many of the most successful people on the planet have taken inappropriately large risks - just like many others who have failed and no one has ever heard of.
Practice positive thinking area
Imagining successes in all details is fun: It puts us in a positive mood. That is why this technique is an integral part of many coaching sessions. Business-minded coaches know that customers who are in a good mood like to pay and recommend you to others. Unfortunately, this way we achieve our goals less often. Psychological research shows that when we imagine intensely and vividly how we have achieved our goals, we relax and our energy fades. We are less willing to actually work towards these goals. Why should we - we have already reached it in our head. Such a dream should be followed by the so-called "mental contrasting": Imagine just as intensely the obstacles that could prevent you from reaching your goals. That gets you into action.
Expand the Send wishes to the universe area
Some people write their goals on a piece of paper, slip it into a bottle, and let it swim out to sea.
Others attach their wish list to a balloon and let it float into the sky.
Bärbel Mohr makes it even easier: In her popular book "Orders from the Universe", she writes that you can simply "imagine" your dream partner, dream job or dream apartment.
It is enough to write down the order and read it to the universe at night at the window (quote: "If you like the full moon, do it with the full moon").
Perhaps you guessed it: none of this will bring you one step closer to your goals.
2. Use values as an anchor
Steven Baert can still vividly remember the day when he set a new goal for 2020. It was the time when the coronavirus first spread across Europe and no one knew how bad the pandemic was going to get. Baert, Chief People & Organization Officer at the Swiss pharmaceutical company Novartis, had just parked his car in the garage. “As I was walking up the stairs to my house, one thing suddenly became clear to me: now the moment had come when I had to redefine my job. My job was to make people feel safe - the 110,000 employees I was responsible for, ”he says. “As soon as I realized this higher value, I was able to re-focus. That helped me immensely to use my time and energy efficiently in the crisis. "
If your goal has meaning to you and is in line with your personal values, the chance that you will achieve it increases by leaps and bounds. A 2013 US study showed that psychology students achieved better grades if they combined work on their goals with online training in which they dealt with their personal values. The authors of the study include the American psychologist Steven C. Hayes, who developed acceptance and commitment therapy, an advanced behavioral therapy, in the 1980s. One of its characteristics is to dissolve unconscious blockages by people aligning their lives with what is important to them.
It is particularly helpful in troubled times when you have a fixed star to use for orientation. Make yourself aware of the values that are important to you. One method is to write down the ten most important values and then cross out the less important ones one by one until only one value remains. Then write down your goals for the next four weeks or three months - and question any unrelated to your greatest worth.
In difficult times, values can not only give us orientation. They also motivate because we are more likely to work for something that is meaningful to us. In return, we are ready to make compromises elsewhere. A study found that over 90 percent of employees in the US would forego part of their salary if they could find more meaning in their work in the long run. The respondents would give up an average of 23 percent of their lifetime income to do so - that's more than people usually pay to buy a home.
Values can also be applied to all areas of life.
For some people, their professional goals can no longer be achieved in the pandemic - for pilots, for example, who can be happy in a crisis if their employer does not go bankrupt.
If there is little that can be done professionally at the moment, we should concentrate more on private goals that we can influence more, advises researcher Grant.
3. Let go and accept
The Swiss innovation consultant Alexander Osterwalder used a method called the “wheel of change” by management coach Marshall Goldsmith to review his goals three years ago (see box “The wheel of change”). The wheel divides all options for action in our life into four areas. Two of them concern positive elements - we keep something or create something new. The other two deal with negative things - we eliminate something or, if that doesn't work, we accept it.
“I asked myself: what is success for me? And came to the conclusion that it is definitely not business, «says Osterwalder. It also felt liberating for him to consciously accept unchanging conditions in his life. "We are often stressed about things that we cannot change," he says. “The coronavirus, for example, is there, no matter how angry we are about it. It sounds trivial, but very few people consciously take the trouble to make peace with things over which they cannot influence. "
At that time, Osterwalder set a new goal for himself to spend more valuable time with his children.
While talking to them, he came up with the idea of writing a comic book about entrepreneurship.
He called the project "Biz4Kids" and raised money on the crowdfunding platform Kickstarter.
“We went to Berlin and shot a promotional video for the campaign.
We started a company.
We learned how boring a notary appointment can be. «The campaign raised more than 50,000 Swiss francs and lasted two years.
Osterwalder not only spent time with his children, he also gave them something that is important to him: entrepreneurship.
4. Think about obstacles
Nathan Furr, strategy professor at the French business school Insead, has done a lot of research on the subject of uncertainty in recent years and has interviewed people who surpass themselves in turbulent times.
Furr says: Seizing opportunities in such an environment - instead of panicking like most people and completely avoiding risks - is a skill that can be learned.
more on the subject
Five steps to the better you: How to conquer your weaker selfBy Sabina Nawaz
WOOP method: How to achieve your goalsAn interview by Ingmar Höhmann and Lukas Schürmann
From brushing your teeth to learning vocabulary: Five mini habits for more success in your studies A guest contribution by Tim Reichel
Goals in the pandemic: Rediscovering the plansBy Petra Maier
Furr identified four mental strategies that successful crisis copers employ: They wonder what they can learn from a problem; they perceive frustration as part of the game where loss is followed by victory; they are grateful for what they have; and they accept that much of life is accidental. This shows that being able to cope with setbacks has above all to do with one's own attitude.
Furr attributes a particularly crisis-proof attitude to his interviewee Benjamin Gilmour - Furr calls it "heroism". Gilmour is an Australian film director and former paramedic. He found himself often in life and death situations. "Most people see a stop sign in an obstacle," Gilmour said. "For me it is a sign that I am walking in the right direction." According to the director, every popular adventure story describes how the hero encounters resistance, be it Luke Skywalker or Harry Potter. “Everyone loves the hero. But it's the obstacles that make him a hero, ”says Gilmour. "The only way to become a hero is therefore to overcome the obstacles!"
Find allies, a sparring partner who is close to you and who is ready to overcome hurdles with you.
Be aware of the obstacles that might be holding you back.
Then tap your project together for possible obstacles - and develop strategies in case they get in your way.
5. Progress gives you a boost
Managers are often not aware of the great importance that successful experiences have for their employees - but also for themselves. This effect has been well documented. Harvard professor Teresa M. Amabile and psychologist Steven Kramer found that people are most satisfied and motivated at work when they feel they have achieved something. It doesn't even have to be something special. In the article “Small advances, big effects” they write: “The good news is that even small advances can give an immense boost. Many of the progress made by our test subjects were only minor successes. And yet they often triggered strong positive reactions. "
In their contribution, the researchers cite the entry of a programmer who wrote: “I found out why something had not worked properly. I felt relieved and happy because that was a small milestone for me. "Another programmer put it this way:" I killed this stupid bug that frustrated me for almost a week. It may not be a big deal for you, but I have a pretty joyless existence, so something like that creates a feeling of euphoria. "
Be aware of your progress.
For each Friday, write down an appointment in the calendar, then review what goals you achieved during the week.
Celebrate your little successes too.
It's best to start right away and celebrate the starting shot for your target project.
The very fact that you started doing it in the first place is a success in itself.
Always remember: Most people fail to even write down their goals - let alone to actively align themselves with them in everyday life.
6. Activate the Matthew Effect
The charm of success is that it often leads to further success. In sociology this is known as the Matthew effect - alluding to the quote in the Gospel of Matthew: "Whoever has there will be given." The analogy comes from the US sociologist Robert Merton. He found that well-known scientific authors are cited more often than unknown ones - and thus become even better known. The phenomenon is also called "Success breeds success" and has been proven in different contexts: in science, in management, in politics. It is an essential success factor in self-management.
People change when they receive signals that confirm them on their new path - positive feedback from outside, from a coach, friend or colleague, or positive feedback from within, such as regular feelings of happiness. Small successes have this effect. They drive you on again and again. Organizational researcher Weick defined them as “concrete, complete, implemented results of moderate importance”. Each in and of itself is unimportant. But if they did come up with a pattern, "they would attract allies, scare off opponents, and reduce resistance to further proposals."
More importantly, a streak of success helps make new behaviors become second nature to you.
"Many methods first try to change attitudes or beliefs, increase incentives or change the content of goals," says psychology professor Gabriele Oettingen from New York University.
Your motivation method WOOP, on the other hand, starts directly with the change in behavior.
"It's about developing automatisms," she says.
And these anchor themselves more quickly in the memory if they are unwound frequently and require little effort.
7. Develop new habits
Sabina Nawaz, consultant and coach to CEOs in the USA, the word "small" does not go far enough. She recommends developing "micro-habits". For example, if you plan to read more in the future, you shouldn't set yourself an hour's reading time, ten minutes, or even one chapter per evening as a goal to start with. The maximum is: one paragraph. "You will know that you have reached the level of a micro-habit when you say: 'This is so ridiculously little that it is not worth starting with," "she writes in her contribution" Forget your ambition! ". But even such a "tiny change in our routine is harder than most of us want to admit."
Another advantage of mini-goals: If you miss them, the world won't end immediately. Sim B. Sitkin, a management professor at Duke University, has therefore renamed this strategy - the "strategy of small losses". In the article “The Stretch Goal Paradox” he and his co-authors C. Chet Miller and Kelly E. See write: “You carry out quick, small experiments with little risk - always knowing that many of them will fail. But the one or two successful attempts lay the foundation for long-term success. "
The researchers quote Soichiro Honda, the founder of the Japanese car maker of the same name: »Success can only be achieved through repeated failures and introspection.
Basically, success is the one percent of your work that results from the 99 percent called failure. "
Conclusion
Do experiments, allow mistakes, learn - you could also say: If you want to achieve goals in uncertain times, you should go through a design thinking workshop.
The similarity is not a coincidence.
Unsafe living conditions require strategies that are similar to unsafe market environments.
As old certainties dissolve, we need to find out what works and what doesn't - for ourselves and the people we work with.
McKinsey consultant Gemma D'Auria stuck a note on her laptop some time ago.
It says: "Who can I encourage today?" With this, she sets herself the task of calling someone every day and asking how he or she is doing.
"During the crisis I found that it also made me feel better." Curiosity and compassion are the prerequisites for people to remain adaptable, she says - and in an uncertain world this is becoming more and more of a decisive quality.
This article appeared in the January 2021 issue of Harvard Business manager. We have shortened it slightly here.