A.I.M.: The Powerful 10-Step Personal and Career Success Program

Chapter 5. Sketching Success

Good plans shape good decisions. That's why good planning helps to make elusive dreams come true.

—Lester R. Bittel

In the previous chapter, we used two tools—the windowpane exercise and the decade review—to explore our values and the role that past events might play in motivating us to make decisions in the present.

Both of these tools allowed us to understand the foundations of our behavior and values. Our lives, like buildings, are built on foundations— And before you embark on renovations, you should understand the nature of the foundation the building was laid upon. Just as it is important to know and understand our historical base, we also must have a realistic understanding of our professional lives. If we are to progress to the final stages of the A.I.M. process and begin to move our lives in a new direction, we need to take stock of our skills, knowing our strengths, and more importantly—knowing where we might improve. Through some simple exercises, this chapter will help us understand how our current strengths and weaknesses relate to our ambitions, dreams, and visions for the future.

Knowing your skill/talent portfolio

In addition to my international coaching practice, I also work as an executive search consultant. In that role, I spend a lot of time on behalf of my clients interviewing candidates for a variety of executive positions. No matter who the client is or how senior the position, I always find time to ask every candidate the same question: ...