Dream and Achieve (eBook)

Introduction:
Outcomes & Transformation

I want to take you on a journey of transformation, a journey I and many others have gone on. Along the way, I will share those stories of discovery and growth.

90-Day Outcomes

What Transformation Looks Like

I would like to introduce a framework we use to conceptualize transformation in our lives. While everyone’s journey will be unique to them, the process itself tends to follow a predictable pattern:

Nudge

Something triggers us. Maybe it’s the realization that we are not doing something of value. We don’t feel fulfilled, we’re not making a difference, we don’t truly enjoy our work. It might be a situation where we see someone who loves what they are doing and are excited about the journey they’re on and we envy them or feel dissatisfaction with our own lives. Maybe it’s a life changing event that rattles our brain or heart.

One way or another, something nudges you to want to change. In other words, you’re finally ready to do what you were designed to do.

Discovery

We begin the journey by identifying who we are—our strengths, passions, experiences, that is, our gifting. This can take place over a series of events and a long time. You may experience excitement, uncertainty, fear, confusion, all of which are normal as you start to transition into this new discovery.

Actions

Once we start understanding our gifts, we take small steps along our path-to-purpose. Each small action leads to more clarity and to subsequent next steps, moving us down the path.

Our objective is to define the elements of our dream, mission, purpose, and vision so we can be more of who we were designed to be. This is where true satisfaction is experienced.

Typical Transformations

After doing thousands of DNA exercises with people, I and the DNA certified coaches discovered that people tend to experience one of three kinds of transformation:

Minor Course Correction

This is the most typical outcome for the DNA process. People stay put in their personal lives and career but make adjustments that help them live into their gifts where they already are.

Your journey down the path-to-purpose doesn’t need to upend your whole life. In one sense, it is simply a process of pushing out (deleting, delaying, deferring, diminishing) the things that run contrary to your gifting and pulling in things that are aligned—and doing this on a consistent, gradual basis. Although people around won’t see the changes, over time they add up to a material transformation.

Examples of Minor Course Corrections

A manager in a Big 4 accounting firm realized she needed to work with other partners in the firm in order to expand her network. So, she started introducing herself to a small, select list of partners she admired to let them know she was available to assist them on their work. Over time, they started giving her assignments, thus expanding her reach.

A finance director sought out and volunteered for special projects that had nothing to do with his current job but were higher profile initiatives in his area of interests.

A Principal in a Big 3 consulting firm had to address his anger problems caused by stress. He decided to forge a habit of running. After a few successful months, he made a habit of running three times per week. It is now a lifestyle change for him.

After an analysis of why she was unhappy in her job, a Big 3 consultant decided to stop traveling on Sunday nights. This had a major impact on her family life.

All these people went through a discovery process to identify key elements needed in their life, took small steps which further clarified their elements that led to additional steps, and moved down the path-to-purpose. As they followed the process, they went through a life-altering mindset shift and felt the joy of living a more purposeful life.

Sideways Shift Within Same Company/Industry

Many people discover that their current employer provides great opportunities for them to shift their role or emphasis in ways that better leverage their gifts and make more impact. In other words, sometimes you have found the right industry or field but are not in the best role to feel challenged and satisfied.

Examples of Sideways Shifts

Kevin Gao, Head of Manufacturing for Baxter China, wanted to expand his horizons beyond China. Although there were opportunities outside, he realized Baxter gave him the platform he desired. After going through the discovery process, he took the needed small steps to get to the Head of Asia Pacific Manufacturing.

A Big 3 consulting firm principal was suffering poor results in the healthcare sector. This led him to question if the firm was the right place to be. After identifying his elements, he took the small steps of moving to the tech sector, networking with key partners, and building a business case for the value he could add.

Darren Ho, the Director of Sales & Marketing for Eli Lilly used his platform to move into a passion for him: coaching. The company happened to be focusing on creating a coaching culture, so he applied and became the Director of Leadership and Employee Development of China. In that role he rolled out a successful pilot which in turn catapulted him to a global role.

A life insurance executive changed his focus on where he wanted to have an impact, from Greater China to his home country of Singapore. While it was a difficult transition at first, over time it became a major stepping-stone to his next career.

Man Jing is currently the Head of Human Resources for Daimler China. Here is her story about her sideways shifting in Daimler.

“I only changed my employer twice in my career. Within each, I changed location or roles several times. I had a more dramatic change when I was offered to move from HR to be the executive assistant of a top leader. The biggest challenge was a lack of business experience and understanding. But indeed my years of experience with the organization and my internal people network helped me to overcome this. What was key, was to connect the dots before and after with clear purpose while doing the new job and leveraging my strengths.

In 2010 I decided to go for an international assignment. I was heading the HR team in China for more than 5 years already and had achieved quite a lot. I had built strong, trustful relationships with all the business leaders. At that time, I was feeling uncertain and a bit bored. I needed a new challenge. That’s why I decided to go and establish a completely new function with a new team in Germany. I simply wanted to test that I still can survive and have the ability to stay competitive in an international environment.”

Mike Fei is a 20+ year China beverage executive. As General Manager of Hangzhou and then Guangzhou for Swire Beverages, the Coca-Cola franchise in China, he discovered that his passion was not sales and marketing, but supply chain management. Putting this into action he decided to take the job as General Manager of Supply Chain in Asia.

Here is a conversation I had with Mike Fei…

Lance: “How did you make the decision of leaving the General Manager position of the biggest Coke bottler in China?”

Mike: “As General Manager, I found myself being tired all the time. I couldn’t figure out why I lacked energy nearly every day. But after spending some time with my Executive Coach, I discovered that I did not enjoy the rigors of managing sales and marketing. Through the self-discovery process, it was obvious my strength and passions were in supply chain management.”

Lance: “It’s not so easy to change from one function to another within a company.”

Mike: “Yes, I thought that very thing. But, I started talking to various people in the company about my desire. One thing led to another and the opportunity to be the General Manager of Supply Chain opened up. That’s amazing. I learned that I need to make career decisions not based on the usual things such as money and title, but I need to make smart career decisions by evaluating the options against what’s really important. In this case what was important was my health and my desire to use my strengths in supply chain management.”

Change of Vocation

This kind of transformation is the most difficult one to make. Before deciding to make a leap of faith, many have to process the feeling that changing vocations means they have wasted their years in their current vocation. This, however, is a mistake in thinking. It’s the experience they’ve accumulated over the years that has put them into a position of purpose.

Joe Roth, President of CMB Franchising Inc. went through many career changes from Pepsi-Cola International to home health care to restauranteur and finally to a rewarding career as an executive coach. He feels all those experiences were not a waste nor a distraction from his purpose. In Joe’s words,

“The transformational change that I have come to recognize is that the experiences that I had encountered over the prior 30 years in business were not a waste as they have prepared and allowed me to share the wisdom from having lived them with my clients. So, whether I’m...