A Golden Perspective on Careers
Thu, August 9, 2012 at 12:01 Tweet
The London 2012 Olympics is a distinct source of inspiration and energy. I have enjoyed observing the Games from both a professional and personal viewpoint. The purpose of this blog is to share what I’ve noticed in the athletes and how those observations relate to professionals taking the next step in their career.
Two golden elements:
Element 1: It is crystal clear each of the athletes winning a medal has a clearly defined desired outcome. The answer to the question ‘what do I want’ is clear and concise.
Element 2: It is explicitly clear each of the athletes knows who they are (their capability). Before they begin to progress their action plan, the athletes identify with their purpose, their outcome and the role they play in that outcome.
The athletes are specific, clear, targeted and focused in relation to what they want to achieve. It is worthwhile mentioning Team GB has taken those elements and brought them to life to stratospheric levels for us to enjoy! Each of the athletes works with Professional Coaches that support, challenge and guide them to being their absolute best.
If you’ve had the opportunity to participate in a webinar facilitated by Position Ignition, work with a Position Ignition Career Guide or follow and engage with @PosIgnition on Twitter you will have heard of or worked on the importance of defining your capability (who you are, your asset base, the raw material that is you) and creativity (what you can do, what you want). Ultimately, clarity is the key; being specific and targeted about what you want is the mechanism that underpins each of these elements and makes you 1 of 1, instead of 1 of many.
The platform for everything I’ve identified so far is managing ‘our minds and hearts’ effectively. These elite athletes have worked on the ability to manage how they think and feel in any given moment. From my observations, the athletes have spent numerous hours on managing themselves ~ their inner game and they’ve become masterful at this art. In other words, the interference or gremlins and emotions have been managed; they work from a foundation of empowerment, productivity and effectiveness. They are focused on what they want and they go out and execute it. In some instances, observing these people performing their sport in flow has actually made it look easy which we know it is not.
Imagine you took the decision to work with a Position Ignition Career Guide to explore your capability and define what you want and what you can do ~ what would that experience reflect? Similar to training as an Olympic athlete, an outcome that is worthwhile takes dedication, courage, focus, hard work, instances of pain & joy, energy and commitment. From my perspective, embarking on a plan to navigate your way to a clearly defined outcome is a source of constructive energy and a strategy to realise your potential. The athletes we’ve had the pleasure of watching are people that dream the impossible and make their dreams reality!
About the Author:
Stephanie Mount is a Position Ignition Guide. She is profoundly interested in people and their potential. Stephanie engages with individuals to discover their most authentic self (the positive energy, their passions and strengths). Stephanie’s diverse career in the helping profession spans two continents. She uses her international experience, professional knowledge and living as an expatriate to enable others to create a fulfilling and balanced life. Stephanie is an adventurer, passionate about the ‘great outdoors’ and travelling to far flung places on this beautiful planet.
