My Pi-Spective on Attainment

(A pi-spective is where you write about something using only 314 words)

When you get what you want it's time to ask yourself for more. The only goals worth achieving in life are the ones you set for yourself. If they're set by others, they'll always come second. And this is just part of being who we are.

So the idea is to align our goals with those of others, or put another way, with those that benefit others. The thing for those of us who aspire to leadership is to remember it won't do for us to impose goals on people. They'll not just come second, they'll often come last. Which is a good thing to bear in mind when you gather your team to work out 'our goals'.

Attainment is one of the most satisfying parts of life. We all want it for ourselves and many of us want it for others. The original root of the word 'attain' means to touch. So it's not about taking, holding or possessing. It's about just reaching what we're seeking. There's a delicacy to the situation. It needs to be delicate because attainment is about hope. And hope is a precious thing indeed.

Attainment of what we hope for can only be a personal experience. It's not something that will find its place in glossy corporate vision statements or hefty business strategies. But these vision statements and strategies are the vehicles with which leaders can help people attain what they seek.

Which might sound awfully fluffy. But it's the uncomfortable reality of business today. If you're not human-centered, then you'd better check your shelf-life because you won't last long. The task of business today is to help people become more achieving. Because company slogans just don't cut it anymore. The gloss has fallen off them, just like too many empty promises.

Help people by finding a way to include their hopes and letting them attain their goals.

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