There are many approaches to development. People, teams and organisations that follow successful principles sometimes go through the stages of making steady progress and then sudden progress.
People sometimes get impatient, however, and want to make big transitions quickly. Sometimes this can be possible, but other times they may need to keep following good habits.
Such people may then get to a point where they move into another dimension and make sudden progress. They may then continue to follow this pattern on the next stage of their development.
Different people follow this approach in different ways. Providing they are following successful principles that work, they may it follow it when:
They are learning a skill … They are developing a new lifestyle … They are doing a creative project … They are coaching a sports team … They are shifting a company culture … They are aiming to achieve a specific goal.
Looking back, can you think of a time when you may have followed elements of this approach? This could have been in your personal or professional life. What did you do right then to follow principles that worked?
What did you do to make steady progress? What may you have done – or what may have happened – that meant at some point you made sudden progress? What happened as a result of taking these steps?
One person I worked with followed this approach when starting their own business. Building on their strengths, they focused on the needs of their potential customers and provided services that helped these people to achieve success.
The person preferred to act as a trusted advisor when building their business, however, rather than do hard selling. This involved spending a lot of time giving to people and passing on knowledge that helped them to achieve their goals.
Three months into the process the person felt concerned. People were receptive but so far there was little income. Bearing in mind the business they were in – being a trusted advisor – this was par for the course. It can take time to build such a business.
The person kept planting seeds in the potentially fertile ground and helping people to succeed. Then things took off. Two companies asked them to support people running projects in their respective businesses.
The person found that, providing they were following principles that worked, the steady progress transformed into sudden progress. This was just the beginning and, since then, they have followed a similar pattern to develop the business.
Let’s return to your own life and work. Looking ahead can you think of a situation where you may follow elements of the steady progress and then sudden progress approach? How can you do this in your own way?
If you wish, try tackling the exercise on this theme. This invites you to complete the following sentences.
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