Innovative Ideas Will Accomplish Goals
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Preparation is Key
Posted October 1st, 2015 by Carroll King Schuller
“Before anything else, preparation is the key to success.”
Alexander Graham Bell
It’s obvious that putting this philosophy to use is important when creating and inventing, and it is also a key strategy for success in the modern career world.
Sitting down for a job interview or a meeting with a potential client without any advance preparation is a certain sign of failing to do what it takes to ensure success. You can invent something with just an idea and an understanding of technology, but your chances of a successful creation are far greater with a little more information and preparation, such as learning about electricity, computers and engineering.
Gathering information and preparing in advance for a job interview, client meeting or other important career event can make a world of difference in achieving a successful outcome.
I like to help my clients prepare for these critical moments through what I call Interactive Analysis.
The first step in Interactive Analysis is to discuss who all the possible ‘players in the game’ might be. Who will attend that client meeting? Who will be conducting that interview?
Next, we start to think about the setting or environment you may find yourself in, and we discuss any possible interactions that might occur. What type of questions will you be asked? Could there be any conflicts or problems that arise? What are the potential opportunities?
Once we’ve discussed all the possibilities, we then try to figure out how you will ‘play your best game’ and get the results you want.
I’ve found that preparing through this Interactive Analysis method helps take away some of the ‘fear of the unknown’ for my clients. If you have an idea of what to expect, the upcoming event seems far less daunting. Preparation is key.
After the event, we evaluate and discuss what occurred. This ‘post game recap’ helps to identify which strategies worked and which didn’t work. With that information, we can then develop an even stronger plan for your next event. It is important to focus on what you did well and what you can do even better.
