It would be great to tell you that your growth chart will be a straight line from the lower left of the chart into the stratosphere on the right side of the chart. But it would not be reality. Even for companies (and people) who are going through transformational growth, there are plateaus - pauses in the upward trajectory. And they serve some valuable purposes.
- Do a post mortem on the achievement to date. Answer questions about what went well and what you would do differently. This sets up the learning that makes next month, next quarter, next year better than the last.
- This is a good time to look around. While you have been head down, doing your thing to achieve your most recent goal, there might have been changes in the market, innovation, competition, or environmental conditions that are relevant to you and your business. If you have your head in your groove you can miss the horizon.
- Work on capacity building. You might be tired and need to restore your physical energy in preparation for the next sprint. You might need to add to staff, do some preventative maintenance, or upgrade something to be ready for the next burst.
- Attend to your desired balance. Your life is about more than one thing. Your mental and physical health, your family, your social life, your spiritual life all need your attention from time to time. You decide what that looks like, in what proportions you choose to invest in them. Just remember that consistent and purposeful exercise creates growth while long term inattention causes atrophy.
- Set your next goal. Look to your really big picture (your big, hairy, audacious goal) for a frame of reference. You might need to tweak something (setting a short term goal) to get to the next higher level of performance. Whether shorter or longer term, your goals help to align your daily activities with your intended outcome. They keep you moving forward.
The challenge in the plateau is not to linger in it for too long. Tom Gibbons, a coaching colleague, said that "there are only two ways to be in life - green and growing or ripe and rotting." You are never "finished" unless you choose to be so.
So here's to the time outs, the breaks in the journey, that make the rest of the journey possible.
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