It won’t be very high if the team is looking down. Looking down means:
- People are just showing up to see what happens.
- Fear of failure is the team’s primary motivation for doing big work.
- Everyone thinks they know the answers.
How high is up? How good do we want to have it? These aren’t pedantic or rhetorical questions. Answering them is difficult work and taken seriously by those teams determined to realize their potential.
It’s stunning how many teams will begin the year without first determining their process to embody success from beginning to end. Knowing the number of widgets we have to make and sell over the next twelve months may give us something to talk about and stress over; it almost never, however, sustains an activated heart, one that is strong enough to power us the distance of a year.
For this to be a year filled with the energy we crave requires a different focus. Looking up means:
- People are showing up with a method and plan to bring their best to every interaction.
- The team is clear about their shared purpose, and one that transcends what can be recorded on a spreadsheet.
- Teammates are curious, eager to learn, and do something that’s never been done before.
How high is up for your team this year? Asking is an important step in knowing what this year will look like.