Tuesday, November 15, 2011

What Successful People Do Differently

HBR Ideacast interview with Heidi Grant Halvorson, author of the e-book Nine Things Successful People Do Differently and the "not-just-an-e-" book  Succeed:  How We Can Reach Our Goals.

Practical advice on specific-goal setting (considering actions to take and the obstacles in your way-- a strategy called mental contrasting), planning that takes these obstacles into consideration ("if-then"), using self-monitoring and feedback to chart your progress, and practicing realistic optimism

One particular tenet espoused by Halvorson-- "Focus on Getting Better, Rather Than Being Good," caught my attention.  When the focus is on improving a product or service (as opposed to an expectation of performing perfectly), performance is better and mistakes are fewer.  (Recall Jeff Jarvis and beta-think).  And those who view work in terms of progress rather than perfection find it to be more interesting and enjoyable.

And the discussion of the limitations of and ways to increase willpower is a reminder that muscle gets tired just like any other and needs to be targeted and developed.

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