Stefan Powell
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Response to Joe's valuable invocation

Response to Joe's valuable invocation

Nov 09, 2022

Evening Joe Redston busy day this end - but here's my thoughts pulled together between meetings. I liked your invocation (https://www.linkedin.com/posts/joe-redstonleadership-selfawareness-itsalwaysboth-activity-6995752496107286528-c0nS?utmsource=share&utmmedium=memberdesktop) that much. 


I have been a sales leader all my life and I've helped people realise vision and goals, hard metrics, achieve against KPI's and deliver against key behaviours and roles and responsibilities for as long as I can remember - so there is no woolliness here. Only a slightly tongue in cheek response with a bigger intention. 


I 'get' the value in identifying what you want to 'be' and the perceived widespread wisdom of deciding upon what you want to be. It helps you visualise it, model best practice and potentially seek mentors in that space. Heck - it's what every 'Americanised' high value development programme is based upon. 


I also see that you've looked to give a balanced perspective by highlighting that there is a balance to be struck. So I recognise that I may be taking this post further than either it intended or is needed - but your response made me feel the need to reply. 


Why did I put - Is doing being? 


I see lots of people dissatisfied by seeking to attain your 'be' state or versions of it - which from your post could include - be 'a famous author' or 'a race winner’2Based upon experience & the multitude of highly self critical good people I see seeking to attain this utopian state (of the few) - the balance I believe which 'pays more dividends' long term is one where the 'be' state is written more as 'author of a book' (rather than 'famous author') or - 'perfectly execute my race' (rather than race winner - I believe 400m runner Michael Johnson famously focused on perfectly executing his race which he knew in turn meant he would win). 


I know it may sound like 'picking flies' - and I think we are broadly talking from the same 'page' - but I think when we focus on a goal which pits us against others rather than vs ourselves we stand a greater chance of disappointment both on the journey (by over comparison against someone else in different 'eco state') and at the end of a journey - if find we either haven't achieved the 'fame' or 'win'. 


Additionally, I've also seen many people who realise the end state yet still don't feel fulfilled because ultimately they were looking to fulfil someone else's expectation that they'd placed upon themselves as well as the perceived approval that they believe will come with it (james cracknell olympic rower is an incredible case in pt too).


3. In my mind, we only have to think about the number of people who could write a book but don't for fear of it not being good enough (for what/be who?) or those who start a 'get fit' programme - benchmarking themselves against a fitness guru on Instagram. This aspiration (I'll come onto) sells books, programmes etc but in my mind generates a feeling of dissatisfaction of itself which doesn't help the out outcome - more in service of marketing teams. 


If we take your 'be a race winner' - sports psychology and sports science apply to this wonderfully; if you know the best time - you can do what you need to get there and break it down - we can then plan our training against it. But does this ultimately serve the human being within us - or the aspiration? I don't think so. 


What do I propose instead? No out putting a view if I don't have one. 


In my experience, I'd rather the balance you talk about - fall more in line with my perception of what Dave Brailsford sets out in his marginal gains theory or again what Michael Johnson as advocated his 'phases of a race' approach or 4. ...if we're looking at business world what Amazon calls 'focus on the inputs, measure the outputs: https://medium.com/fact-of-the-day-1/january-17-focus-on-the-inputs-measure-the-outputs-64273166c07c


I would suggest a balance less between the two 'do' and 'be' instead more the following order; 70/20/10 where 70% is on the inputs, 20% on the 'be' of the nature I mention I.e. to write a book and where 10% might be on what I'll call an 'aspiration' (what i perceive to be your 'be' state such as 'be a famous author'. 


I just believe it fits more comfortably with purpose, intrinsic motivation and 


An additional thought... 


In addition to this; based upon experience, I'd also be keen to explore what being 'a famous author' or 'race winner' would give a coachee and how much of that is based upon satisfying an external 'force' and how much it would truly 'satisfy them', those around them and ether focusing on doing rather than being in this sense might actually be a more productive and healthy construct for them.


5. A 'few' thoughts. 


Thank you for the invocation and for 'questioning' my half joking response. I enjoyed it. 


Always happy to chat over a coffee as I learn as much from putting my experiences in words; I hope they didn't give the impression I wish to devalue yours - far from it. They prompted all that ☝️ 🙇‍♂️



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