by Rick Baker
On Jan 15, 2013
Why not expand your presentation of your chief aim?
The business gurus and the motivational speakers have extolled the virtues and values of aiming big and amplifying your purpose:
- big hairy audacious goals [Jim Collins' BHAGs]
- wildly important goals [Stephen R. Covey]
- shoot for the moon [Les Brown]
I think it is more important to clarify your purpose than to make it bigger.
You cannot assume the purpose of your thinking is obvious. So, when you are a business leader you cannot assume people know why you ask them to do stuff. You cannot assume people know how pieces of work fit together or how they align with your organization's goals.
You have to express these things.
You have to talk about your organization's overall goals...long-term goals. You have to talk about specific task-&-action goals...short-term goals. You have to talk about your personal goals. As you describe your goals and explain what you are aiming at you have to adjust your messages...much like your camera lens must be adjusted to capture short- and long-distance objects. This makes sure pictures are clear rather than fuzzy.
That's what I call aimplification.