How do I work with intentionality?

Once you say: “I want to accomplish, achieve, succeed at, or attain this…” you need to go look for the greatest example of whatever the this is. Then, you need to do the homework to understand what allowed the this to succeed.

If it’s owning your own practice, if it’s ascending in a corporate environment faster than anyone, if it’s being better than anyone else…all these things start with a higher level of awareness.

You need to be aware of these things: What do I want myself to look like in the future? Go out and find those examples. This is intentionality.

If you know that a colleague ascended in your organization from an associative to a VP by exhibiting a certain set of characteristics (by being dependable, accurate, timely, articulate) then those are the characteristics you must take on. And you have to start that work today.

No matter where you’re at- if you’re answering the phone, picking up the parking lot- you have to be intentional about doing it methodically, making yourself available and friendly to the people that you want to ingratiate yourself to so that they recognize you. You want to overachieve so they say, “Man, I hired this person to do something as simple as answer the phones for our organization and they do such an amazing job, while they are also doing ten things outside of their job description because they’re always asking others, ‘Can I help you? Can I help you?'”

And I say, “Just answer the phones,” with quotations because sometimes we minimize the significance of every role in an organization and the person. When you minimize the significance of that role, you’re actually minimizing the opportunity and significance of finding that golden gem of a person who can contribute to your organization.

So, my advice to anybody that’s thinking about excelling in doing anything, is first understanding, at least minimally, what you want to accomplish over what period of time. Goal setting is very important.

Then, model your behavior and your contribution after someone who is a high-impact player and attained what it is you’re trying to attain. Make yourself available and find a way to add value to what they’re doing. Have the discipline, the grace, to ingratiate yourself to them so they will work with you, develop you, and teach you.