“Keep your eye on the prize.” That’s the advice we’re given whenever we’re struggling. The shiny reward at the end of the struggle. But when it comes to long-term goals, it’s easy to feel like Sisyphus rolling his boulder up the hill and never reaching the top. That’s why we think Mr. Miagi’s advice to young Daniel in Karate Kid is far more valuable: “Wax on, right hand. Wax off, left hand. Wax on, wax off. Breathe in through nose, out the mouth.” It’s that mindfulness of the here and now that helps us reach our goals without even realizing how close we are. Because the truth we so often forget is that, in life and in business, it’s the journey that makes things worthwhile, not the destination.
So let’s talk about why so many professionals still put goals before processes every day and how we can flip the script. Why we’ve been taught to focus on goals and why it doesn’t work (for everyone) Goals are a central part of business growth and individual performance. They allow us to measure our performance and they offer us a direction to work towards. And there’s something simplistic and unifying about everyone working towards the same goals in a company. Just think about the goals of marketing and sales teams. In effect, they’re the same: to bring customers to the business, even if the roads they take to get there are vastly different.
Because even when they’re measured according to different success metrics (leads and conversions versus successful sales), the efforts of both teams are aimed towards communicating value and offering solutions to grow the client base. These shared goals help to align individuals with the greater journey the business is on. But goals are measured in output, not efficiency. They’re about numbers, not relationships. So even when they’re achievable and measurable, it can often feel like they’re still only theoretical abstracts floating around in the ether. What you need is something that will reintroduce the flow into your workflow. What you need is mindfulness.
Why being mindful of the journey and working for the now changes things so drastically
“Mindfulness” - it’s not a term you often find in boardrooms and sales meetings. But maybe it should be. It’s a mindset that can alter both performance and client relationships just by focusing on what you can do now.
Strengthen customer journeys with mindful attentiveness
Being mindful and attentive to the present moment helps you put your client and their needs first - the secret ingredient to customer retention. While we could write a whole article on the mental benefits of mindful meditation in offices, what we’re talking about is focusing your awareness on the present when it comes to customers. That means focusing on the needs that need to be addressed now, forgetting about the “success” of the conversation for just a moment. That attentiveness will help you identify the real pain points and possible solutions you can offer better than you would have been able to if you’d only been thinking about the end goal.
Boost staff performance by emphasizing intrinsic task value
Mindful business practices go beyond improved customer relationships. They help teams perform better by inviting them to be mindful of the intrinsic value of their daily tasks. Being mindful of the journey can help team members from marketers to sales persons embrace their role in a larger ecosystem and realize the value that each task can bring to the final customer experience. By enjoying the process, we get to reflect consistently on the smaller steps of the journey and embrace the lessons we learn even in unsuccessful sales journeys.
So instead of only being rewarded by successful conversions and sales, mindfulness helps team members experience accomplishment through the intrinsic value of each step of the sales journey.
How 1406 Consulting can help you embrace the journey and stay in the now (while helping you reach your goals nonetheless)
1406 Consulting is all about crushing goals, no matter how big they are. And one of the greatest things we've learned to do is to pay the necessary respect to the journey. Because that’s where the differences are made. With a little HubSpot guidance and a lot of good ol’ fashioned conversation, we can help you crush your goals…by showing you how to forget about them every now and then.
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