Begin with the End in Mind

One of the seven habits in Steven Covey’s book “7 Habits for Highly Effective People” is “begin with the end in mind”. Hopefully most executives think that way. They set a goal, make a plan and attempt to complete the plan. The question is do their people know the goal? If they do, do they believe in it? Are they part of the team that is reaching for the goal or just “doing their job”?

I just read an article by Dr John Maxwell where he describes an employee of a Krispy Kreme store not turning on the neon sign that says “Hot Doughnuts Now”; something they are instructed to do to draw customers in when a new batch is hot out of the oven. When Maxwell entered the store and realized a new batch was hot out of the oven, he asked the employee why they did not turn on the sign. They said, “The moment I turn it on people come into the store and we get too busy. If I keep the sign off, it’s less hectic.” The employee’s focus was on having an easier day, not profitability.

I firmly believe two things. If people do not know where you want to go, they cannot help you get there. Also, if you tell them the goal, but they are not passionate about it, they will not help you get there. Those statements might seem obvious, but if you don’t know your people well enough and they don’t know your direction and are not excited about it, you have a problem.

When you hire new employees do you “begin with the end in mind”? Do you discover if they are passionate about “where you are going”? If they are not excited about going where you are going do you think they will help you get there? Do you hire to fill an immediate need or hire to build a team that will make your company great?

In my past we used our long-term plans in our recruiting process. People that were excited about the vision were put into the interview process. If they “just wanted a job” we passed them by. The thought parallels Jim Collins statement in “Good to Great”; first “get the right people on the bus”. If you don’t start with “the end in mind” you will wander and stumble along the way.

Any project needs to go through the same process. The team needs to begin with the end in mind. I they are not all aiming at the same end goal, how can they possible succeed? Team selection is critical for team success. You cannot assume that all employees have your organization’s best interest in mind. Like the Krispy Kreme employee above, they may only be concerned with themselves and making their day easier.

You cannot motivate unmotivated people. They might change some day, but you cannot change them. In a similar vein, you cannot make people be good teammates. They either are or they are not. You cannot change them.

In Maxwell’s article he quotes Jim Rohn saying, “Don’t send your duck to eagle school”. If they are a duck they will act like a duck. You cannot train them to be eagles. Only eagles can act like eagles. Think about your people. Do you know which are “eagles” and which are “ducks”?

Consider Covey’s thought when moving forward; begin with the end in mind. Help your people grasp the concept. Make sure they understand and are passionate about the goal. A team of people heading in the same direction is a powerful force.