Why and How – the importance of both. Leadership Programs

Why and How – the importance of both

Does spending time on your“why” stopping you from achieving outcomes?

How much time should you spend on why and how?

Can you do one without the other?

Is either essential for getting to where you want to be?

Affectus has developed a process to assist you to explore your why and develop direction. When we have delivered these powerful “pause and unearth” workshops for small groups and organisations our observations indicate that most people like to think and act.

Do you like to think and act? I like to combine the two – I rarely like to just act.

And, we have found, there is often resistance when we are just encouraged to act.

When Affectus spends time in intense sessions over weekends or mid-weeks we see the comfort levels rise and fall. The variation in comfort levels really depends on the time provided for people to think about why and act (or plan to act) on directions.

Why is it important to discover why and think how?

Thinking about my experience as a teacher, see Lessons From Teaching Naughty Boys Maths, “Friday Survival” wasn’t developed to get people thinking. Actually it was to distract them from thinking about 3.30 bell.

As soon as I found my why – assisting people to see their leadership space and giving them the skills and courage to step in – I understood the importance of the following:

Sometimes people want busy work, but most of the time we want to use our brains
We are driven by purpose – our purpose – combined or individual
Action without meaning is demotivating
Taking action with a connection to what we care about keeps us focused and motivated

Now I am wondering. Do you agree?

Sometimes it is thinking about the opposite that solidifies thought.

Consider:

If an action you are undertaking has an absence of purpose, how long do you remain enthused?
If you spend too much time thinking about your purpose, can you get lost?

Questions to consider

I travel alone, mostly. And on those long drives I can spend many hours thinking. (I can also do a lot of very loud singing.) I find that if I don’t pause my thinking and take the next step into what I can practically do with my ideas I can get lost.

So, here are some questions for you to consider

What values must be present in your space?
What purposeful, meaningful, engaged activities do you love doing?
Whay makes you zing when you do it?
What skills, gifts and talents do you possess?
What do others say you are good at?

Affectus can guide you through the process of getting the why and how balance right. However, thinking through your responses to the above questions will certainly help you start balancing why and how.

Best of luck in your search for why and how.

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