business issues Focusing Outward BY DAN COUGHLIN Inner focus is essential, but so is focusing on the needs of others. If you provide value to others, everyone eventually wins. AS INDIVIDUALS, we don’t live in a vacuum or on an island. In past articles, I’ve focused on what happens inside of you—your focus, your ability to say no, your mental development, your purpose, and your ego. And there’s always more internal work to be done. But let’s take a minute to focus on you focusing on other people. To be personally effective means to achieve the desired result. Again, it’s not about living in a vacuum or on an island. It’s about moving toward the desired out-come. Being effective with other people means helping them achieve what they want to achieve. Here are two of my favorite quotes on creating value for other people: Jackie Robinson said, “A life is not important except in the impact it has on other lives.” And Zig Ziglar said, “You can have every-thing in life you want if you will just help enough other people get what they want.” No matter how much we develop our-selves, it won’t matter unless we take the value we have generated and contribute it to other people. This is true in our personal lives and in our professional lives. And now, think about what other people want in each of those areas. Write down what comes to mind. Value is anything that increases the chances that a person will have what they want to have. Make a list of what would be of value to other people in helping them to have what they want. You might write down a comfortable car to get them where they want to go, a smile to brighten their day, a word of encourage-ment, someone who really listens to them, a piece of knowledge they need to get what they want, a warm coat, and an opportunity to show what they are capable of doing, etc. Then keep writing. Keep adding to your list. Pretty soon, you’ll realize that there is an in nite number of tangible and intangible things that can be of value to other people. you can contribute to other people, and the key is to actually contribute it . At times, this may be uncomfortable or dif cult. Some-times people will reject the value that you have to offer, or they will insult you for the value that you tried to contribute. Or they will laugh at you, or they will say negative things to other people about your efforts. That’s okay. Keep contributing. Maybe you need to make an adjustment to what you are delivering or how you are deliv-ering it or to whom you are delivering it. Keep re ning your efforts as a value cre-ator and contributor, but please don’t ever stop trying to contribute value. It is in creating and contributing value that our lives gain meaning and signi cance. And somewhere along the way, you will receive value for the value you contribute. That value can be in the form of stronger relationships, a greater sense of self-worth, and/or material gains. Give some of your focus to value contribution rather than just to your personal rewards, and life has a way ■ of sending value back to you. Create Value for Other People Value So what is value? Value is anything that increases the chances that a person will have what he or she wants to have. Make a list of what people want in every aspect of their lives. Start with yourself and write down what you want. Seriously, give this a try. Next to each category, write down what you want: • Mentally • Physically • Socially • Professionally • Financially • Spiritually • Familywise • Friend-wise • When it comes to your community Now make a list of what you speci cally can create, do, or improve that would be of value to other people. Possible items might include a hand-written letter of appreciation to someone in your life, an improved skill that can add value at work, a follow-up phone call with a customer, an innovative product that you could design, really listening empatheti-cally to someone in a meeting, or a well-organized report that can help people to understand what has been done and what could be done (better) in the future. As with the previous list I suggested, you’ll quickly notice that you could create, do, or improve an almost in nite number of things that could be of value to other people. I encourage you to focus on just a few, maybe ve to seven, ways that you can be of value to other people. Get really good at adding value in those ways, but also be open to adding value to other people in other ways as you move throughout your day. Contribute what Value You Can Don’t just be a value creator. Be a value contributor. There is so much value that Since 1998, Dan Coughlin has worked with business leaders to consistently deliver excellence, providing coaching and seminars to executives and groups, as well as guiding strategic decision-making meetings. And now he is also focused on helping people on their inner journey to excellence. Visit his free Business Performance Idea Center at www.thecoughlincompany.com . Dan has also given presentations in at NASCC: The Steel Conference. To hear recordings, visit aisc.org/education-archives and search for “Coughlin.” Modern Steel Construction | 31
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