7 Ways to Rise Above Pie in the Sky
Long-term goals are delusions, if you can’t produce results, now.
Leaders deceive themselves, and others, with pie-in-the-sky goals. The light at the end of your tunnel is a train, headed in your direction, if you can’t explain what results look like and how to get them, now.
Trying harder:
Trying harder is the typical first response, when results disappoint.
Trying harder, when you’re already working hard, doesn’t improve results. It discourages teams.
Can you explain why more effort, more time, or more resources will make a difference?
7 ways to rise above pie-in-the-sky:
- Redefine results.
- Replace key team-members.
- Clarify behaviors that actually work.
- Focus on factors within your control.
- Evaluate processes and procedures.
- Eliminate bottlenecks.
- Set short-term goals.
The benefit of long-term dreams is direction.
The advantage of short-term goals is action.
Set short-term goals when:
- Times are turbulent.
- Results are uncertain.
- Performance is disappointing.
- Teammates are untested or inexperienced.
- Important success factors are beyond your control.
- Behaviors that produce results are ambiguous.
- Circumstances constantly change.
- New products or services are introduced.
- Product track-records are short or confusing.
- Projects or initiatives have never been tried before.
Bonus:
Listen to excuses and blaming, when results disappoint. Leaders who say, “I don’t want to hear excuses,” miss opportunities to deal with poor-performers, improve processes, or clarify key success factors. Most importantly, they miss opportunities to set short-term goals.
The next time someone offers an excuse, ask:
- What behaviors answer your concern?
- How are we doing the wrong thing?
- How can we do the right thing?
- Who can solve this?
- When can we follow-up on this issue?
When results disappoint, more of the same, produces more of the same.
How can leaders rise above pie-in-the-sky thinking?
How can leaders get the most from excuses and blaming?
Leaders do not rise above pie-in-the-sky-thinking.
They have a Vision and they bring others thinking up to theirs.
You really believe when Steve Jobs had an idea his engineers THOUGHT they could make his idea into reality? No they thought his ideas were not realistic, no way under the sun they could be made. If you do not understand this you must not have read any of his books.
Mr Jobs stood FIRM in his conviction, his Vision. Henry Ford too. Einstein…..every Leader. This is what Leadership is for goodness sakes. Jobs knew what COULD be done that was outside of the possibility of the thinking AT THAT TIME. He stood firm with the disbelief of his followers and they ended up doing what they never believed they could. What a gift his belief, his pie-in-the-sky thinking gave him and the rest of us. Where would we be if Jobs had read this post and just figured his thinking was pie-in-the-sky? Whew, sends chills up me spine just pondering that.
THAT is Leadership, not settling. Leaders take us where we have not been before, that is their function. Their Command.
When Kennedy said we were going to the moon who thought that was pie-in-the-sky? Everyone but HIM and a few like minded Dreamers. If he listened to the PACK we would still be wondering what it would be like to walk on that thingy.
I can get the most from excuses and blaming by not doing them, having them. These are not Leadership qualities. I can get the most from understanding who and what I AM and how this machine God gave me works. Then using what God gave me to its utmost potential….which it beyond my limiting beliefs.
Working on expanding my beliefs of what is possible not settling. Just the thought of settling makes me want to vomit.
I use these talents or I lose them. Some of you base your entire belief system on the book that idea springs forth from. So live this belief just don’t read it and think it sounds all cool.
What the mind can conceive and believe it can achieve.
The way to create is right here.
1. What
2. Why
3. How To
4. When
One NEVER knows HOW to get to anywhere to places they have never been. That is what the whole process is all about. How to is THIRD, not first.
You do not like this formula? This is the EXACT formula Vishen Lahkiani used to go from making 4.50 a day with Mind Valley to a multi million dollar company with hundreds of employees in around 25 countries in a relatively short time. Do not like or understand his formula? Then take some time to understand it. Then do what he does and get results.
If you think you can or you can’t, you are right. Your beliefs are only pie-in-the-sky if you tell yourself they are. All up to you, decide.
SP
EA
Where would the world be without dreamers 🙂
J they would be in caves with clubs regurgitating the same old lame stuff none if them were applying!!!
Just my opinion don’t make it right, makes it the way I sees it.
SP
Thanks Scott.
EA, if you’re saying that all BIG, game-changing, visionary, “pie-in-the-sky” ideas always seem unrealistic and impossible to others at first, I think you’re right. At the same time, they are like Dan says–long-term and “direction” driven. But when a leader “sells” those ideas and gets others to “buy-in,” I also believe as you say they become action driven because people work with that end and vision in mind–until the vision is turned into reality. Belief and work don’t prove what is impossible; it confirms what is possible.
People buy in when their Whys are connected…see step two of Vishens Plan order.
Folks buy in when the Leader effectively communicates to the folks that when they WIN, they win too.
Very well said Books by the way!!
Bravo to the size, intellect and use of your brain!!!!
SP
EA
Scott,
It takes all types of people to make things happen. I’m very ENFP – I’m all about long term, futuristic type stuff, but without the types that are focused on the results of here and now, getting to that end would be much more difficult. I have pie in the sky ideas and I believe they are, but I’m also looking to get them done anyway.
Also, Steve Jobs was an insufferable person who alienated almost every person in his life. Visionary, yes. Leader, not even close.Getting kicked out of Apple was the best thing that could ever happen to him because when he came back he was taking over a much larger company. Standing firm in beliefs is not an excuse for treating people like garbage.
Pie in the sky and delusional are not the same thing.
-JP
Bravo JP you get a thumbs up!!!!!!!!!! I do not agree with everything you said but BRAVO for sharing. Plus you might be precisely right!!!!!! The important thing is to SHARE!
I am not sure everyone shares the same definition of Leadership I do.
I see Steve Jobs as ABSOLUTLEY a Leader and a GREAT ONE! Same with Henry Ford, neither were going to win a popularity contest. Look at the IMPACT their stubborn resolve had for the rest of the world.
For me leadership is NOT ABOUT POPULARITY. Popularity is about Popularity.
Jobs brought out more in people than they thought they had in them….his thanks back from SOME of them……they did not LIKE HIM. Wowza, that matters?
When I was in the 8th grade we had a Coach, Coach Steve Smith. HATED HIM…….HATED HIM! He worked us to close to death as 8th graders.
We went undefeated and beat an all star team they put together to whup us 84 to 0.
As time went on that HATE went to well earned respect and admiration.
I was a much better football player in the 8th grade because this Dude demanded more out of me and my teammates than we thought we had in us. He was RIGHT, we were wrong.
Thing is you are PRECISELY right for certain folks. People who see things just like you….you say and think and do and act exactly the way they think you ought to!!!!!!!!!! Hang with them.
See we got victims…..they ought to hang with victims and moan about their victimhood.
It is OK, with no emotion and just looking at it as a choice who are they better off with?
I PROMISE you the victims of the world want NO PART OF ME. None, Zip Nada.
I am a recovering Drunk and Druggie. A person wants to get sober and clean. I will share exactly what I did. If they choose to want to keep banging their heads……I say get a bigger hammer.
This sometimes is a life and death choice and I still say May I get you a bigger hammer? Do I care…more than you will ever know but I respect people enough to make their own decisions.
I am ONLY interested in helping them, not listening to their drivel.
I got 30 years of experience listening to the best liars cheats and thieves in the history of the world. Clean time experience in the real world of hard knocks. I have not heard it all but I have heard a great deal.
I am no nonsense results guy….period. I could care less if people like me. Why? I like me!
Because they are most likely making a decision based on a lack of info. I remind them of someone in their past they did not like. Big Whup! I do not dislike them just because they are simple and stupid. They just know no better way. LOL
I do not let that bother me in the least because that just distracts me from what I am doing.
Plus it is nothing personal. They know me how? How long? From what perspective? I remind them of someone else they do not care for. Nothing personal.
Even if they really knew me and still did not like me…….scee-daddle Dude or Dudess.
There are 7 billion other people for you to hang with, go hang with folks who see the world the way you do.
Look all the strategy we been using is USELESS. As God’s kids we are failing each other miserably. Too much trying to get along with folks we will never get along with.
I work with a guy and I promise no amount of time is EVER going to have us see things the same way or have the same likes. NEVER. I am a sports guy, he ain’t. He is a hard core fundamentalist, I ain’t. So instead of fretting about it I just keep my distance pleasantly.
People might not like me saying it but our application of Leadership is horrific. 97% of the money in 3% of the people’s hands. Kids starving and dehydrating, 80% of employees hate their jobs. What are these raving results? Country 17 trillion in debt.
No we stink, we stink real bad. I catch a lot of negative energy here for being the one who says this over and over and EVERY FACT I LIST IS TRUE.
Not popular but TRUE. I will keep doing it till others get with the program or Dan kicks me out.
To me JP Leadership is sticking to ones beliefs in spite of the consequences.
One day I got to answer to my Maker not Dan or anyone else on this blog, and EVERY fact I cite is TRUE. Not popular….TRUE.
In any case….BRAVO for sharing!!!!!!!! You are THE MAN! Keep it up and Lead those who believe what you believe to the promised land. I believe in you. I believe you can do that cause YOU SHARE!!!!!!!! Keep it up!
Scott
I feel like what this article is saying is that you cannot achieve your “pie-in-the-sky” without also setting short term goals. Otherwise you are setting yourself up to fail at reaching your “pie-in-the-sky”.
Libby I am saying Vishen Lahkiani says the order is
What
Why
How to
When.
He says when one focuses this way in order the how to falls into place.
He says it all free to anyone who cares to watch, listen and learn.
The Theory of Awesomeness, he has another video called Happiness is the New Productivity.
Cool ideas backed up with hundreds of jobs created and millions of dollars generated through Mind Valley.
Just saying people with results from their words line these might be beneficial to listen to. Just saying.
SP
EA
Thanks Libby. I’ve seen people who love to talk about their big dream but can’t seem to take a step toward it. I also hear lots of talk about how people are waiting for this or that to fall into place BEFORE they step toward their dreams. Most of what I hear are reasons or excuses on why they can’t take action now. My experience is, if you are taking action now, you probably won’t tomorrow either.
The ability to take steps toward fulfilling your dream is as important as having the dream in the first place.
Best wishes.
One of the best post that i have come across on leadership!
Thanks Mukesh. Best wishes.
The issues isn’t with the dreamers. Its with teh dreamers who have no real vision of what they want, and do not provide enough resources (time, money, people) to allow people to get there. Martin Luther King Jr Had a dream, but he could articulate what it was. Nope he didnt know how to get there but he had a vision and he could articulate it.
Having the vision and putting enough effort into it to be able to flesh it out enough so it can be articulated is the real part of leadership. There’s no way Steve Jobs said “go invent me something, I’m not sure what it is, but I;m sure everyone will want one, oh and have it on my desk in 5 days with a full budget” That’s where the dreaming becomes pie in the sky and where real leaders can set the path by putting effort into the ideas.
Thanks JDB. Jobs is a wonderful example of a person who knew how to get off his butt and do something. He kept failing until he finally succeeded. But, in the process he just kept at it. No pie in the sky there. 🙂 .. just lots of hard work.
Dreaming is the easy part.
Work and flesh while not dreaming bill….. ah! It works for the people who focus on short term goals and little in the way of diversions (like a 9 to 5)…… People who are nuts and bolts kind of people benefit and build something from this approach…… the dreamers…. they are different…
Thanks ksfinblog. A dreamer without some nuts and bolts isn’t going anywhere. Or, perhaps they jump from one fanciful idea to another, never really completing anything. 🙂
Yes, dreams point the way. But sweat gets it done.
A Car without an engine would be a mighty waste…… Expensive but still a waste….
Great illustration.
What you say is bang on. It’s all too easy to talk about long-term goals. The true test is how we break it down into smaller goals and ensure these are achieved.
What you say is true. However, there is a balance to be struck, and it is always tricky. The path to long term goals is short term steps. The long term goals may shift as circumstances change. More often than not, they are ossified. also, it is interesting, when it comes to the hat you wear. When I was President of our company’s Indian operations, I found it relatively easy. I stress the word, relatively.
I now decided that I will do my own business, and the long and short term aspects become more difficult to separate. I focus on short term steps.
I have also decided that, in the looooong term, I want to be able to support myself through photography and writing. Again, I focus on the short term actions, especially as this field represents a complete departure from what I have done in the past. I read, practise, learn, unlearn, and move on..
One of the pillars of behaviour change as stated by Chip & Dan Heath is ‘Shrink the task’ – which equals your short term goals advice. Rock on (excuse the pun). 🙂
Thanks a lot for sharing.
“Rise above Pie in the Sky” is actually the perfect expression to make to a leader to inject additional energy and initiative into the leader more so the team. The leader with the pie in the sky idea will never give up on that idea because that leader has likely thought out the idea flagging obstacles and unknowns that will need to be addressed on the way to achieving this idea. The tools provided here are excellent tools for the leader to apply and introduce to the team for addressing those obstacles and unknowns while achieving the pie in the sky idea whether directly or indirectly.
I have been using these strategies before ever reading this page or even googling how to “achieve pie in the sky ideas.”
This page has provided me with reassurance.
To help others understand. I paraphrase “rise above pie in the sky” as taking the position that the idea is not so out of this world, bizarre, or unattainable. In fact, the idea is attainable, we simply need to approach the objectives in reaching the goal/s from all angles, as required.
Thank you to Dan Rockwell and his team for developing and formatting an approach on how to rise above pie in the sky.