Seven A’s of Accomplishment: Approach

In an earlier post, I identified and briefly described the “Seven A’s of Accomplishment”:

In my last post, I described the Aptitude factor.  In this post, I will expand upon the fourth Accomplishment factor:  Approach.   I will do so by answering the following three questions:

• What is an Approach?
• What are the key aspects of an Approach?
• How does an Approach impact your Accomplishment?

What is an Approach?

Approach means several things, but in the context of this post, two definitions are the most applicable:

1. A way or means of reaching something.
2. A method used in dealing with or accomplishing.

Several synonyms come to mind when I think about the term in this context: strategy, course of action, and plan.   Your Approach is simply the way you go about accomplishing a goal or initiative.  It is a high leverage factor because it has a big impact on success.  It guides action and funnels your ambition. A well-crafted Approach brings efficiency to the accomplishment process.  It helps align activity, resources, efforts etc. with your aim or goal.

What are the key aspects of an Approach?

The following are key aspects of an Approach:

• The What aspect: What do you want to accomplish?
• The Why aspect:  Why do you want to accomplish it?
• The Who aspect: Who needs to be involved, considered, etc.?
• The When aspect:  When do you want/need to accomplish it by?
• The Where aspect: Where do things need to happen?
• The How aspect: How will you go about it?

Clearly defining what you want is critical!  You cannot get there if you do not know where you are going.  Having a clear rational for your aim energizes it.  It is akin to Ambition.  Most significant accomplishments necessitate more than just you.  You need to have a clear idea of the people involved and affected (the stakeholders).  Involve them as early as possible!   Next, you need to figure out the timeline.  Here you define the initial and high level sequence of events and dates necessary for success.  Now you figure out locations, if such are relevant.  Here you figure out where to do things that need to happen.  The final step is where you develop the essence of your approach—the strategy you will follow to be successful.  This aspect should produce the main action plan you and or others involved will follow to successfully accomplish your aim.  Your chances of success increase the more you think about your approach.

How does an Approach impact Accomplishment?

Your Approach can make the difference between success and failure.  The way you go about accomplishing your aim impacts the time and effort required and the resources (economic and human) that will be required to successfully accomplish.  Great ideas, goals, and projects can fall through the waste because of poorly thought out approaches.  The key thing to keep in mind is that developing your approach is not about developing a document or a schedule per se.  Its primary value emanates from the process of developing the approach.  Rarely the first “approach” turns out to be the final one that leads you to the outcome.   The schedule will change.   Even those involved may change.  The key is the vision, overall direction and several critical strategic moves that emerge from the process.  That is where you can succeed or fail.  Assuming your Ambition and the rest of the factors remain in check.

Take time to carefully develop your approach and involve, as early as possible, the key stakeholders.  The key is to put in the time and do your homework as early in the process as possible.  Take time to make the best decisions you can.  I will bet you it will make a huge difference!  However remain flexible as things will change along the way.  Just make adjustments and keep going!!!

The BEST is Yet to Come!

Epi Torres, CEO