Action

“There are risks and costs to action. But they are far less than the long-range risks of comfortable inaction.” ~John F. Kennedy

Inaction spurs indecision and unmet goals. The absence of results erodes morale and further decreases productivity, intensifying the impact. When employees feel stuck, if there are blocks to being able to act, inertia descends like a heavy blanket stifling connections, solutions, and sales.

On the other hand, when there is positive energy, trust, accountability, clarity, and support people know what right actions to take, feel comfortable moving forward, gain momentum, and see results.

It requires the Fire element to spark performance. Fire has power, light, warmth. It strengthens, energizes, and transforms.

This feels like coming home…

I am predominantly a fire style. As an adventurer, decision maker, action taker, plan implementer, and energy creator, I Get Things Done. Seriously not trying to toot my own horn here but productivity and getting results is my jam. And I love to share HOW to do that with others.

But it’s important to let you know my path and what can happen if we overdo an element. I didn’t even realize how unbalanced I had become until I moved to the beach. Fire focused for so long, I wasn’t properly caring for myself. I was burning out. I needed the water to find peace and presence. Finding the balance of the elements was important to holistically take care of me, my business, and my clients BETTER.

This is why the Elements of Adventure is so helpful. It gives us the framework to not just take action but to know what actions are best and why.

If you haven’t seen them yet, my previous articles in the series look at:

• Purpose (earth) – combats misalignment and confusion, popular with CEOs
• Relationships (water) – solves for isolation and conflict, popular with COOs
• Inspiration (air) – resolves apathy and stagnancy, popular with CMOs
• Action (fire) is where we’ll focus today and in my experience those CSOs and other sales leaders are drawn to how it helps individuals and teams excel.

Let’s light it up!

Challenge

Whether it starts from not having access to the necessary tools, negativity, or lack of training, people can get stuck. Procrastination can hinder progress.

Lack of activity from a team member can create frustration and strain team dynamics. Trust and collaboration can be compromised.

Failing to act may allow competitors to gain an advantage or prevent the team from capitalizing on a market trend or potential sales opportunity.

Choice

Action is important in all areas and levels of a company. However, sales tend to be the most obvious way to demonstrate effectiveness. One easy way to differentiate is through follow up.

According to recent research from PeakSales Recruiting, 48% of salespeople never make a single follow-up attempt after a cold call. Prospects need to hear from you 7 times before buying. And if most don’t follow up, it becomes very easy to stand out.

We have choices in which actions to take AND which to stop. Both are equally important.

Some examples of what to STOP:

• Allowing distractions to keep you from taking the most effective (and yes, at times more uncomfortable) actions. It’s important to get the hard stuff out of the way first.
• Fear of failure. I’m talking to the leaders here more than the individual. Allow and encourage your people to fail. It’s how they learn. If there are heavy repercussions and stigma attached to getting something wrong- people stop trying at all.
• Habits and patterns that no longer serve you. Look at the things you do regularly that prevent you from taking the best actions. Then look at the belief you have that has caused that. I spend a good portion of my time helping people discover how to release the assumptions, beliefs, and judgments that keep them stuck in an unhelpful pattern.

Some examples of what to START:

• Asking the right questions. Solution focused questions help leaders foster strong teams and help employees to create more rapport with clients.
• Replenish your energy. Sometimes increasing productivity and results comes from adding in breaks, fun, and quiet (for me these included walks on the beach and connecting to my water element)
• Create an environment of constant learning and improvement.

Change

If you want a change in outcome, make a change in behavior.

There are 100 different ways to optimize performance. Choose the ones that work for you and your team in order to douse the inertia and spark action!

Some of the tools I’ve created that increase productivity and get the best feedback from clients include:

• MindSPACE- a tool to assess where you are and the most important steps to get where you want to go (credit and gratitude to co-author Will Lewis!)
• CHOICE model for success- Change, Habits, Options, Influence, Contribution, and Energy
• Aligned- a holistic time management planner
• and the 7 Touch Template- a human-centric guide for follow up

Productivity is just one of the ways we measure the impact each team member contributes to the overall business. For the company, it signifies the health and growth of the business. For the employees, it helps move them toward their full potential.

Looking at The Elements of Adventure as a whole- the meaning, connection, and humanity of it all adds more value and impact.

But for now, as we close the ACTION/FIRE section, don’t underestimate the power of small consistent action. I wrote my books by having a minimum daily page number…of Just 1 Page!

Committing to and taking daily action on that one small page was the key to success. Getting started often energized me to write more, but when I wasn’t feeling it one page was enough because I had achieved my consistent goal.

How could you use this in your world?

Be on the lookout for the final article in the series- the Heart of Humanity!

Quote of the Day:

“Words may inspire but only action creates change.” ~Simon Sinek