Action For Satisfaction
Action For Satisfaction
Action For Satisfaction
Action For Satisfaction
Alignment of purpose and planning leads to strategically informed action. When a leader or organization is confident in their purpose and has designed clever plans to achieve their goals, the actions necessary to achieve those goals naturally follow.
More ketchup please!
When it comes to increasing the amount of ketchup on my fries, I have no problem advocating for myself and moving into action. Whether it’s asking the cashier for more, grabbing packets, or pumping from the dispenser, I always act to increase the satisfaction I receive when eating my fries.
There was a time in my life — when I was single and very mobile — that a casual observer might have thought part of my mission was to have as much ketchup as possible.
I strategized where to eat based on who had the most free flowing ketchup (Wendy’s was the best in the mid 1990s!). Once I got my food, without hesitation, I would move into action by heading straight to the dispenser and liberally applying the delicious condiment over the wax paper on my tray — creating a vast reservoir, so I could easily and repeatedly dip my burger and fries into an unending supply of ketchup.
This was my way. I knew the truth about where the best ketchup was available and I believed more ketchup made for a more enjoyable life; so I set goals, planned, and acted in accordance with my beliefs.
This description above, while slightly absurd, describes how we act when we know what we want.
Our everyday actions in pursuit of satisfaction can tell us a lot about our purpose in life — our why. This constant search for temporary satisfaction often drives the way we plan and strategize our day and can end up impacting how we lead our life.
Why → How → Action = Satisfaction
Great leaders and well led organizations connect their “why” to their "how.” Organizations that accomplish great things extend their purpose or “why” to the way they operate and “how” they do everything. This requires incredible alignment in everything an organization thinks and does — their reason for being and core beliefs feed all major goals and strategies.
Alignment of purpose (why) and planning (how) leads to strategically informed action — knowing what to do and executing when it’s time to do it. When a leader or organization is confident in their purpose and has designed clever plans to achieve their goals, the actions necessary to achieve those goals naturally follow.
Acting in alignment with our personal and organizational purpose should come as naturally to us as breathing. When we breathe, we don’t think about it unless attention is brought to the fact that we are breathing. Similarly, our purpose should be so deeply rooted in our hearts and minds that acting in accordance with that purpose becomes something we do with ease.
Living and acting purposefully takes practice and repetition, kind of like dribbling a basketball. When someone first starts dribbling a basketball, they think a lot about whether they are dribbling correctly; so they practice until it becomes second nature and they don’t think about it any more. Professional basketball players don’t focus on dribbling and this enables them to focus on the most effective way to beat the opposing defense — determining whether to shoot, drive, or pass.
Similarly, when we are sure of our purpose and have developed ways for how to serve people, acting for the benefit of others becomes an outflow of our intentions. Doing the right thing for others can be as natural as walking and loving others can be as common as breathing.
The Most Important Actions Can Be Hardest
As humans we often have trouble acting on our most important beliefs. Our hesitation to plan and act can be based on fear, anxiety, paralysis by analysis, or simply choosing to not disrupt the status quo. We don’t want to rock the boat. We don’t want to risk our temporary comfort. As C.S Lewis said, “We are far too easily pleased.”
Research from Harvard Business Review demonstrates how successful leaders overcome the barriers to actions. In the article, New Project? Don’t Analyze — Act, the authors recommended looking to those who are experts in navigating extreme uncertainty while minimizing risk — serial entrepreneurs. These leaders act, learn, and build their way into the future.
The authors demonstrate that most serial entrepreneurs work this way:
Act: Take a smart step toward a goal.
Learn: Evaluate the evidence you’ve created.
Build: Repeat steps 1 and 2 until you accomplish your goal, realize you can’t, or opt to change direction on the basis of new information.
The article goes on to say, “Most successful entrepreneurs don’t just “think different.” They translate that thinking into immediate action, often eschewing or ignoring analysis. Rather than predict the future, they try to create it. We have seen this firsthand in clients and former students who have launched businesses in a variety of industries. And look at Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz: Coffee sales had been steadily declining for two decades before he came up with the café concept that would grow into a multibillion-dollar business.”
This is the way to implement change on purpose. This is the way to turn strategies into deliverables. This is the way to impact the lives of those you lead and serve.
The Greatest Work Is Given To Us To Do
During the last meeting with His disciples before His betrayal, brutal crucifixion, and glorious resurrection, Jesus served them, fed them, and encouraged them to believe and to follow Him.
“Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; or at least believe on the evidence of the works themselves. Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.” – John 14:11-14
These are some of the most shocking words in the Bible — full of incredible promises to us!
How could Jesus intend for us to do greater works than He did? Pastors and theologians have been unpacking the miraculous wisdom, love, and glory of this text for 2,000 years, and we will be unpacking it until Jesus returns.
Here are three keys to understanding the charge Jesus gives us:
Believe (why): Jesus told His followers to believe. Believe in the Father. Believe in the works of the Son. Right after this promise Jesus completed His greatest work to believe in — His resurrection from the dead. Belief in His resurrection provides the greatest purpose for our lives.
The Way (how): The way we go about our life and work should be the same as Jesus went about His — totally connected to the Father. He tells us to stay connected to Him through prayer and ask everything in His name. Jesus made clear He was the Way, the Truth and the Life. Here, He says stay connected to me and you can do anything according to His will!
Act (what): Go and do. Go and work. Count the number of times Jesus used the words ‘do’ or ‘work’ in these 4 verses. I count 7! It is so clear that Jesus wants us working and doing the same works He did. Jesus wants us to pray in His name so that we are enabled, by the power of His Spirit, to do the work He’s given us.
Will you go and do the work? Will you act? Jesus promises us there is no greater way to satisfaction than to live and act in this way!
Resources
Worksheet: View and download
Article: The Way To Work — Is To Believe
Article: The Way To Lead — Connect Why To How
Harvard Business Review: New Project? Don’t Analyze — Act
More ketchup please!
When it comes to increasing the amount of ketchup on my fries, I have no problem advocating for myself and moving into action. Whether it’s asking the cashier for more, grabbing packets, or pumping from the dispenser, I always act to increase the satisfaction I receive when eating my fries.
There was a time in my life — when I was single and very mobile — that a casual observer might have thought part of my mission was to have as much ketchup as possible.
I strategized where to eat based on who had the most free flowing ketchup (Wendy’s was the best in the mid 1990s!). Once I got my food, without hesitation, I would move into action by heading straight to the dispenser and liberally applying the delicious condiment over the wax paper on my tray — creating a vast reservoir, so I could easily and repeatedly dip my burger and fries into an unending supply of ketchup.
This was my way. I knew the truth about where the best ketchup was available and I believed more ketchup made for a more enjoyable life; so I set goals, planned, and acted in accordance with my beliefs.
This description above, while slightly absurd, describes how we act when we know what we want.
Our everyday actions in pursuit of satisfaction can tell us a lot about our purpose in life — our why. This constant search for temporary satisfaction often drives the way we plan and strategize our day and can end up impacting how we lead our life.
Why → How → Action = Satisfaction
Great leaders and well led organizations connect their “why” to their "how.” Organizations that accomplish great things extend their purpose or “why” to the way they operate and “how” they do everything. This requires incredible alignment in everything an organization thinks and does — their reason for being and core beliefs feed all major goals and strategies.
Alignment of purpose (why) and planning (how) leads to strategically informed action — knowing what to do and executing when it’s time to do it. When a leader or organization is confident in their purpose and has designed clever plans to achieve their goals, the actions necessary to achieve those goals naturally follow.
Acting in alignment with our personal and organizational purpose should come as naturally to us as breathing. When we breathe, we don’t think about it unless attention is brought to the fact that we are breathing. Similarly, our purpose should be so deeply rooted in our hearts and minds that acting in accordance with that purpose becomes something we do with ease.
Living and acting purposefully takes practice and repetition, kind of like dribbling a basketball. When someone first starts dribbling a basketball, they think a lot about whether they are dribbling correctly; so they practice until it becomes second nature and they don’t think about it any more. Professional basketball players don’t focus on dribbling and this enables them to focus on the most effective way to beat the opposing defense — determining whether to shoot, drive, or pass.
Similarly, when we are sure of our purpose and have developed ways for how to serve people, acting for the benefit of others becomes an outflow of our intentions. Doing the right thing for others can be as natural as walking and loving others can be as common as breathing.
The Most Important Actions Can Be Hardest
As humans we often have trouble acting on our most important beliefs. Our hesitation to plan and act can be based on fear, anxiety, paralysis by analysis, or simply choosing to not disrupt the status quo. We don’t want to rock the boat. We don’t want to risk our temporary comfort. As C.S Lewis said, “We are far too easily pleased.”
Research from Harvard Business Review demonstrates how successful leaders overcome the barriers to actions. In the article, New Project? Don’t Analyze — Act, the authors recommended looking to those who are experts in navigating extreme uncertainty while minimizing risk — serial entrepreneurs. These leaders act, learn, and build their way into the future.
The authors demonstrate that most serial entrepreneurs work this way:
Act: Take a smart step toward a goal.
Learn: Evaluate the evidence you’ve created.
Build: Repeat steps 1 and 2 until you accomplish your goal, realize you can’t, or opt to change direction on the basis of new information.
The article goes on to say, “Most successful entrepreneurs don’t just “think different.” They translate that thinking into immediate action, often eschewing or ignoring analysis. Rather than predict the future, they try to create it. We have seen this firsthand in clients and former students who have launched businesses in a variety of industries. And look at Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz: Coffee sales had been steadily declining for two decades before he came up with the café concept that would grow into a multibillion-dollar business.”
This is the way to implement change on purpose. This is the way to turn strategies into deliverables. This is the way to impact the lives of those you lead and serve.
The Greatest Work Is Given To Us To Do
During the last meeting with His disciples before His betrayal, brutal crucifixion, and glorious resurrection, Jesus served them, fed them, and encouraged them to believe and to follow Him.
“Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; or at least believe on the evidence of the works themselves. Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.” – John 14:11-14
These are some of the most shocking words in the Bible — full of incredible promises to us!
How could Jesus intend for us to do greater works than He did? Pastors and theologians have been unpacking the miraculous wisdom, love, and glory of this text for 2,000 years, and we will be unpacking it until Jesus returns.
Here are three keys to understanding the charge Jesus gives us:
Believe (why): Jesus told His followers to believe. Believe in the Father. Believe in the works of the Son. Right after this promise Jesus completed His greatest work to believe in — His resurrection from the dead. Belief in His resurrection provides the greatest purpose for our lives.
The Way (how): The way we go about our life and work should be the same as Jesus went about His — totally connected to the Father. He tells us to stay connected to Him through prayer and ask everything in His name. Jesus made clear He was the Way, the Truth and the Life. Here, He says stay connected to me and you can do anything according to His will!
Act (what): Go and do. Go and work. Count the number of times Jesus used the words ‘do’ or ‘work’ in these 4 verses. I count 7! It is so clear that Jesus wants us working and doing the same works He did. Jesus wants us to pray in His name so that we are enabled, by the power of His Spirit, to do the work He’s given us.
Will you go and do the work? Will you act? Jesus promises us there is no greater way to satisfaction than to live and act in this way!
Resources
Worksheet: View and download
Article: The Way To Work — Is To Believe
Article: The Way To Lead — Connect Why To How
Harvard Business Review: New Project? Don’t Analyze — Act