The Inner & Outer Loop of Collaboration Success

I saw a quote the other day on a posting by Dave Ulrich, and it really hit home because it lies at the heart of performance transformation and collaboration success. The quote was from Marshall Goldsmith and it went like this:

“Successful people become great leaders when they learn to SHIFT the focus from themselves to others”

The reason it hit home is because I work with teams, projects and partnerships, and learning to make that SHIFT is one of the most transformational things that you can do.

For example, as a team member, you may be great at hitting your personal KPIs, but your performance will plateau if the whole team is not working together effectively. By putting your organisation’s purpose and goals ahead of your own, you’ll find it enables greater personal success.

Likewise, when companies focus on the bigger picture needs of the communities around them – and where those needs intersect with their agenda – they are enabling greater profit growth for themselves.

In both these examples, it’s like you’re constantly moving from your own inner loop to a more powerful outer loop and then back again. It’s a SHIFT from your own self-contained system to a mindset that embraces and supports the ecosystem that you operate within.

This concept may resonate with you and I’d really love to hear your own challenges and successes in this area. Until next time, bye for now.

Phil Preston is a speaker and facilitator who creates collaborative teams, cultures and strategies. You can stay in touch by following him on Linked In or contacting him directly.

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