Swinging for Singles

I am pleased to share my latest post to The SHRM Blog regarding goals in the new year.

As we start the New Year, many of us have made resolutions for personal growth in the professional space. After a few days off and the excitement of the promise of a new beginning, many of us set bodacious goals for ourselves. When we do so, we set ourselves up for failure.

To be clear, I am not talking about business goals. We need to stretch ourselves and often are stretched by the business needs beyond our own stretching. I am talking about how we handle ourselves in reaching those goals. That’s the kind of personal growth about which I write.

Many opportunities for growth are our strengths taken to the extreme. For example, we are driven but sometimes lack the patience with others who don’t drive at the same speed. This may leave them feeling less than so they deliver less than we expect of them.

The bodacious goal is to become as copacetic as the colleague who is deeply driven but also has breathtaking patience. You may not be wired that way. I for sure am not.

The more realistic goal is to try to be more patient (not patient) and think of specific situations where it is attainable. Not sure of what they are? Ask a trusted colleague. Or, think of times when you did not get the response you had hoped for and ask: what was my role?

When I was a little guy, I loved playing baseball. I had a great eye but was not very strong. So, I swung for singles and did rather well. When I swung for the home run, I missed every time. Actually, the same is true for doubles.

In life, I try to swing for singles. And, that includes in personal growth. I think if we are realistic and gentle with ourselves, we are more lucky to be successful and gentle with others.

So happy New Year and may the year be full of singles. And, if you miss the ball, keep swinging. If you improve by “only” 30%, you are batting 300. Not bad, huh?

This blog is not legal advice, should not be construed as applying to specific factual situations or as establishing an attorney-client relationship.