The Journey Toward Your Potential

It is frustrating when you know you or your team has potential, but the bottom line is not showing results. Many people find themselves spinning their wheels with a desire to achieve more but they are simply not finding all their success.

There is a paradox around potential.  Often when a company hires a new person they get excited about their expectations about that individual's pending contribution, only to wonder later how they missed the mark. But potential does not equal results.  There are so many other parts that are often overlooked, and it has become my passion to get people focused on how to bridge  that gap.

Human resource professionals have all sorts of personality and skills tests, but they do not always predict outcomes.  Some managers trust their gut instincts, only to later question their own methods. But this is not just about individuals, whole teams can get caught in the chasm can continuously come up short from their desired possibilities. 

In a survey now consisting of over 250 people I have found that 70% of the people feel either they or their companies are not doing all they can in this area of reaching potential. Of those who feel they are reaching all they can, I am not sure if all the participants are being honest with themselves about all they can achieve. Some are clearly comfortable where they are, but when I speak with them it is clear they do not have stretch goals.

Not that goals are the magic bullet.  Many with goals are always missing the mark. Yet, I am learning that your potential is never really the entire destination, as you move a long your path you keep learning and growing and this brings about greater potential.  Each time you get close the prize of potential moves farther out.

The paradox of potential is all about how meaningless potential is without the actions.  It is common to assume potential has meaning, but alone it is just another label we are assigned or self-proclaim. If you take pride in potential without results there is not really anything there. 

It is not about building a bridge you your potential, but rather a scaffolding. You move across and can always add on and take a lateral path or go up and down.  Even diagonal. 

If you seek to go after success all alone you might get there, but when you share the efforts with others you will often get there faster. Potential that is recognized by the people around you is often more realistic and achievable. Consistent analysis and conversation with trusted peers will help you get closer to your best. 

My own business has grown since I made the study of my potential a daily effort.  The honest dissection of past mistakes and missed goals, and openly sharing with peers has allowed me to expand my sales by over 50%. This cannot be a coincidence. I had previously gotten caught up in the dream of my potential for success, but was not focused on the small actions that would take me where I longed to go. 

Those who want to push forward toward reaching more potential cannot be scared to have many discussions with co-workers, vendors, customers, etc...  Wishing for better results will not make them happen.  Stripping away facade of potential and getting real is the key to success.

I am currently seeking more people to take this short survey.  It will only take a few moments, but it will continue to allow me to better understand how people wrestle with their own journey toward their potential.  www.SurveyMonkey.com/r/potential1234

Have A Great Day

thom singer