Every day we are given choices that lead us forward on the path to success. But how do we get there? Lots of entrepreneurs have ambitious visions of where they want to be, but actually achieving that vision is the tricky part.
This is where Mike and Adriana Girdler of CornerStone Dynamics come in. They’re efficiency experts who help people and organizations do what they do – but better, and get where they need to go faster. Mike and Adriana joined us on October 20th to lead a Lunch ‘n Learn session on Clearing the Path for Success, where they spoke about identifying roadblocks and thriving in business and in life.
Mike and Adriana began the session by defining what success – at the most basic level – actually means: a preconceived vision of where we want to be. Every decision we make is based on this vision of success. But sometimes, we are our own worst enemy and end up creating roadblocks to reaching it. Mike and Adriana point out that not having a clear vision, occupying ourselves with too much busy work, a lack of action plan, fear of failure, and being stuck in reaction mode are the biggest roadblocks that come between a person and their goal of success.
How are we to pave the right path, then? Mike and Adriana identify three basic but crucial steps: Vision, Strategy and Behaviour.
If you don’t have a vision, get one! A vision statement is like an organization’s compass, identifying what success means to a company and steering all business decisions towards it. Daily decisions should be made with a vision statement in mind to ensure everything you’re doing is serving the purpose of reaching your goals of success.
Secondly, an organization needs strategy to be able to reach these goals. Once a vision statement is established, the measurable objectives and tactics needed to achieve it come next via a strategic plan. A strategic plan establishes what your organization will devote its resources to and focuses everyone on achieving the same goals.
Lastly, businesses – and people – must adopt behaviours that act as catalysts to reaching their vision of success. Mike and Adriana point to ‘successful behaviours’ – like positive mental attitude, investing in yourself, letting go of anger or resentment, and congratulating yourself – as an essential part of achieving success.
You can view Mike and Adriana’s presentation summary here and photos from the event here.
At each month’s Lunch ‘n Learn we also feature an interesting iF client to share a 5-minute highlight of their business. This month’s Factory 5 was Dr. Michael Chrostowski of Sound Options, a company that provides sound therapy to sufferers of a hearing disorder called tinnitus. Thanks to Mike, Adriana and Michael for sharing your stories with us!
Our Lunch ‘n Learn events are a great way to get out and network while enjoying a free lunch and learning something new! Make sure to keep checking our event calendar for upcoming Lunch ‘n Learns and other events in the ecosystem.
