Playing a Bigger Game: Noticing Your Improvement

Last week, we explored Playing a Bigger Game by focusing on presence. Today we are following up on that by looking into the next dimension with how you are playing a bigger game in your life.

What have you noticed about yourself?

In this week’s conversation, we will dig a little bit deeper into what you have noticed about yourself and look into the skills you have improved upon. You will be challenged to identify the things you have done — and haven’t done — to move forward in playing a bigger game.

Playing from everyday results to everyday mastery

Every career has performance reviews that look at an individual’s work ethic and productivity over the year. You might choose to run your life and business the same way. It is surprising how we do not take ownership of tracking our progress in our personal lives, as well as we do in our business. Playing a bigger game in your life is to play from your everyday results to being in everyday mastery. But, what does that mean? If there is one word to partake in the theme of mastery, it is intentionality.

When we habitually complete our work and live our lives, we attain mundane and habitual results. We are in automatic, and do things subconsciously. We do not take notice, and it was just another day. However, when we choose to put intentionality into tracking our progress, we are choosing  to take note of our daily results, which leads to a clarity, and with that, a clearer view as to where we can choose to improve. In Peter’s view, Mastery is whenever we are being at our best.

Let us take the time to review below ways of playing from everyday results to everyday mastery.

Are you a better talker?

How are your communication skills evolving with others, and with yourself? Beginning with your self-talk, are you speaking positively or with a negative outlook? If you find yourself being pessimistic and continuously speaking negatively to yourself, it won’t be long before your self-image takes a dive and the words that come out of your mouth will be negative as well.

Putting effort into this area, where can you improve?

Are you improving?

Have you attended workshops?

Our human condition is to want to thrive and improve. However, our efforts to succeed are usually overcome by our emotional state. If we don’t feel like developing today, we won’t. If we don’t feel like attending workshops, we most certainly won’t either.

What is your ultimate why in wanting to improve? Keep this in mind to help you move forward.

How are you doing in your business?

Where have you improved, either quantitatively or qualitatively?

Tracking your efforts and progress is very important in innovating and growing your business. Have you consulted or explored with other members of your team, or your coach, to find out where you are, so that you can invest in developing yourself as an owner?

How are you doing in your relationships?

Consider your partners, family, friends, parents, colleagues, and coworkers.

People are fundamental aspects of your business. How are your communications with each member of your bigger team? Remember that all relationship breakdowns start with breakdowns in communication.

Noticing yourself in your business

To further our point from above, let us dive deeper into looking at yourself in your business. Where do you stand, what are your views and how effective are you as a leader? Are you adding value to your company, to your employees, and customers? If not, why not?

It’s the WHY question again.

Are you more effective in your company?

Are You? Where can you improve in the general sense as a leader? What kinds of business and organizational development plans have you in place to further your company? A business can only grow as big as its leader will allow, and that takes a plan.

Notice, and be willing to accept that if your business has plateaued, perhaps look into the mirror of your personal growth for answers.

Are you exploring new opportunities, ideas, or partnerships?

From where you are to where you’ll grow, a businesses’ potential for growth lies in its team’s ability to innovate. How much are you investing in exploring new markets, collaborations and new affiliations?

Are you solving problems that come up?

One of the most critical skills to maintain as an entrepreneur is your ability to solve problems. Are you prepared and equipped in the event of turmoil within your company? Do know the difference between taking care of urgent matters versus important matters?

Are you completing tasks and projects?

Are you finishing your trains of thought, are you seeing them through to the end?

There are those of us who are starters and those of us who are finishers, do you know which kind of leader you are? Are you the type to call out ideas but not follow through with them? If so, do you have a partner or team member that can fill in where it is not your strength to see your projects through to completion?

Are you networking?

Networking is one of those tasks that could sit at the bottom of people’s to-do lists. However, we believe it is an important strategy to promote your business and to gain exposure and new customers. Do you study how you can effectively network with your company?

Are you decisive?

Decision making is a leadership tool, and if chosen, is a gift for you to embrace. If it’s not something you are comfortable with, what can you do to improve on this skill set? Remember, no decision is still a decision, and a decision is an advantage.

How will you choose to become more decisive?

Are you a better listener?

As a successful business owner, you will also have to be a good listener to your employees and customers. What strategies do you have in place to become a better listener? Remember the 80-20 rule.

Are you asking for feedback?

Asking for feedback shows others that you have a willingness to grow and learn. A boss that does not have the ego to think that he does not need to ask for feedback is a more effective employer.

How have you implemented getting feedback from those around you? Consider that feedback is someone’s opinion. It is not right, wrong, good or bad — it’s just an opinion.

Prioritizing your improvement

These questions are great tools to use as a guide to self-auditing. Take the time to invest in figuring out what you are noticing about yourself. Where do you stand objectively and where do you stand in the pursuit of your goals in your BusinessLife?

Perform an evaluation of where you are presently in preparation for our topic next week. Our next phase is to take a more in-depth look at you: your traits, and how you are — or whether you are — encouraging yourself to succeed. It’s a closer look at who you have become.

Would you like to connect with a coach to discuss your improvement? Contact coach Peter Marcus today.