"I want to stand as close to the edge as I can without going over. Out on the edge you see all the kinds of things you can't see from the center." -- Kurt Vonnegut, Jr. (1922 - )
A client of mine uses the idea of an "edge" to set targets with his sales team. It's essentially stretch goals - with an added layer. Once they set the stretch goal, he asks them to think about what edge he/she will bump up against trying to reach it - i.e. where will he/she falter? The conversation (which is documented) is respectful, open, and honest. As such, it provides a powerful accountability structure to design new actions and help the sales people get better. "It was a slow process to start a couple years ago," he admits. "No one was used to it. But now I couldn't imagine managing the sales team without it. It's really opened up our communication."
Consider This:
Your center is where you feel comfortable. Your edge is where you feel uncertain. You spend every day somewhere in between the two. If you want to grow and develop, spend more days pushing against your edge. More days left of center. More days trying new things. More days taking risks. Risk is ultimately what drives success, but more importantly it's what makes your life fun and interesting.
Try This:
1. What's your edge? What challenges do you routinely shy away from?
2. Why do you shy away from them?
3. If you took more action, what good things do you think would happen?
4. If you took more action, what bad things do you think would happen?
5. When you compare the 2 lists, does one outweigh the other? (hint: the good list often far outweighs the bad)
6. Your edge is never as scary up close as it looks from a distance.
Related Stories: | Topics:Leadership, Kurt Vonnegut |
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Recent Comments | 3 Total
December 12, 2005 at 12:46pm by Pat Lake
I agree with the strategy. Stretch goals without an acknowledgement of possible barriers to reaching them, as well as what steps one can take to overcome those barriers. However, I believe it is critical to include reference to an environment that both encourages and supports this strategy. The reality is that it is almost impossible to follow this strategy for growth successfully without a supportive environment, especially a manager who will not only encourage stretch, but who will provide needed support and work with the employee to overcome the barriers that are likely to result.
December 12, 2005 at 2:00pm by Bruce G. Stumbo
I LIKE the strategy and Pat's comment about the environment that fosters successful use of it. "Respectful, open and honest" attitudes are essentials. Honest enough to challenge the negative and honest enough to encourage the positive that just might take you over the edge onto something terrific. That takes support and ability to accept the sense of 'freefall' that takes place when you actually go over an edge once in a while. (Some of us don't like the sensation of falling...figuratively OR literally.)
December 12, 2005 at 3:30pm by Carl Koehler
Good, but let's consider Apollinaire (1880 - 1918), who wrote:
"He said, 'Come to the Edge.'
I said, 'I cant, I'm afraid.'
He said, 'Come to the Edge.'
I said, 'I can't, I'll fall off.'
He said, finally, 'Come to the Edge.'
And I came to the Edge.
And he pushed me.
And I flew."