When I write and speak about Quality Events, one of the points I often make is don’t start big. Start small; for instance, focus on working 5 more minutes before your next break, or make 3 more calls than your cube neighbor today.
Turns out, I’m no dummy: Newsweek just ran this story by Wray Herbert, about—surprise, surprise—why having big goals works against your ability to get ‘er done. In a nutshell: articulating big goals makes your ego feel good, and when your ego feels good, you feel too important to work. That’s not exactly it, but it’s a close approximation.
I’ll vouch for these findings anecdotally as well as from the perspective of a practitioner: not only have I made some bold declarations at time only to watch myself struggle to motivate to make them happen, but interestingly, when things are very important to me, I don’t talk about them to anyone. Even my wife knows when I’m serious about something, because that’s when I get quiet. The plans are no smaller, just quieter, until such time that I truly need others’ help.
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I'm Jason. I make people shine. My mission is to help 1 million people tell their stories better. 
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Great summary of a core concept. Individual success can suffer when lofty goals are made & announced publicly, but not reflected upon or adjusted when the inevitable obstacle is encountered.
It seems that companies also suffer from the same psychology of setting stiff goals (mission statement, mantra,motivational phrase) and refusing to adjust. See the following article:ready.. aim.. FAIL
Hey Jason … I strongly agree with the notion of breaking large projects down into managable, readily achievable tasks … large ships require many bolts, plates and planks before they’re ready to sail … small, consistent, persistent pushes create sustained success.
However, I strongly disagree that the study the Newsweek article reviews actually disproves the notion that publicly announced intentions undermine actual effort. As articulated, the “large” committments made by the law students really can’t be measured that quickly or easily. Generally, whether large or small, public declarations open “space” for those committments to come into being, and those same declarations enroll those in orbit to support those efforts.
“Make no small plans, for they do not stir the passions within me.” I think I got that right… it’s Daniel Burnham, the Chicago architect responsible for the most salient, and grandest, features of Chicago’s city planning—including a ban on private ownership of lakefront property.
What’s going on here? Maybe it’s the difference between creating a vision and creating a goal? One should tug at the heart strings and connect you to something bigger than yourself (there’s a whole body of knowledge on transformational leadership to support the efficacy of such a strategy)… the other should be a concrete, detailed plan on how to get from A to B (again, more research supporting this bottom up approach, too)… maybe?
Great points. I don’t have an answer for you at this moment… but I have been thinking about this very issue since I wrote the post.