How to get better at business development - Strategy #1.

Strategy # 1: Choose and commit yourself to clear outcomes.

We've all heard about goal setting. And you know how to do it. But, you also know you don't always do what you know.

This lack of clarity of outcome means you’re not driving your own bus.

Begin with level-one, the honesty check. Do you even have a clearly visualised, precisely defined, performance outcome?

Ask yourself. "What do you want? How will you know when you've got it?"

Then level-two, the commitment check. Are you motivated and totally committed to achieving the outcome? Or is it just a wish on a list?

Ask yourself. "What's important to me about achieving this? What's it going to get for me - beyond the outcome itself?"

And finally level-three, the ecology check. In your minds eye project yourself into the future. In your imagination experience what it's like to have achieved the outcome. Look around at the ecology this achievement, particularly for the other stakeholders.

Ask yourself. "Now I've experienced this in my imagination, is it right for me, is it what I want?"

Set your goal by aligning these three levels. Then you'll know you have something worth pursuing.

Next up Strategy #2, which is about having more influence.

Mini-mission

Apply Strategy #1. Figure out what you - as a consultant - want to get better at.