By Christina Nota
Imagine you want to meet the CEO of a particular company for a sales meeting. You call for an appointment and are informed that she’s extremely busy and that her assistant will get back to you as soon as possible. The week passes without a call. You call again and leave a message. You wait another week and send an email. No response. You don’t want to seem too pushy, so try calling one more time, manage to get through and are told that the CEO is traveling and they will call you in a month or so to set up a meeting. After a month, you leave another message, send another email, receive no reply, and eventually give up, convinced that the meeting will never happen. You think, “What else can I do? I’ve called, left messages, sent emails… she’s not interested.”
The above actions aimed to set up a meeting with the CEO, right? And the result of these actions? Feelings ranged from enthusiasm to frustration and still NO meeting!
When we “speak with intention”, we have a clear, specific goal in mind and ensure that all our words and actions are focused on achieving that goal. We do not let circumstances or obstacles distract us.
So, in the above example, how would you act with intention?
Put simply, you become unstoppable. You speak with the assistant and build a relationship with them; they are the key to scheduling the meeting. You could say, “I know the CEO is very busy. Can you help me make this happen?” How else could you meet her? Who do you know who knows her? Could you meet with someone else in the organization first? What else? How else?
And yes, you may fail. And you continue because you just haven’t found the way – yet! Consider what is missing in you or the circumstances that would make the difference.
You choose to think differently, in a way that energizes and leads you to take other possible actions. You said that you would book that meeting, so giving up is not an option.
Imagine you’re a project manager with a critical project and a tight deadline. You need input from several team members, but despite your emails and messages, days pass without responses. It feels like shouting into a void.
A week later, a few replies trickle in. Some team members are too swamped with other projects to prioritize your requests. Frustration sets in. Conversations reveal confusion about roles and accountabilities, with some unclear about their tasks and others not understanding the urgency.
Another week passes, and you’re still struggling. Coordinating across different time zones is a logistical nightmare. Finding convenient meeting times is a constant challenge. Technical issues like system outages and software bugs disrupt progress. Personal matters affecting team members add complexity, and resistance to new methods hinders innovation. Frequent communication breakdowns lead to misunderstandings, mistakes, and lost information.
Your frustration builds, and the project remains at a standstill. Doubts about delivering the project plague your mind. The thought of admitting failure to the CEO crosses your mind because despite your hard work and intentions, you still haven’t produced results, and it looks like you won’t make it.
When we encounter obstacles, it’s tempting to quit, believing the situation is beyond our control.
An intent person, however, thinks differently. They become relentless, focusing solely on the goal. They transform frustration into determination, turning every barrier into a stepping stone. Their persistence and creativity ensure nothing stands in their way. By doing so, they keep the project on track and lead their team to success.
An intent person doesn’t let circumstances, feelings, or barriers stop them. To succeed, your actions must match your words.
In this example, being very intent, you take control by scheduling meetings to stress the urgency and importance of team members’ input. You offer assistance, set clear deadlines, and follow up regularly to track progress. You reach out to supervisors to emphasize the project’s priority and gain support while maintaining a positive, solution-oriented attitude. Your determination and creativity in finding solutions show your commitment to delivering results. You explore various avenues for input, involve the entire team, and ensure everyone understands their roles. To prevent misunderstandings, you implement clear communication protocols like shared documents and daily briefings.
By taking these intentional actions, you keep the project on track, demonstrating your leadership and showing you are unstoppable in achieving your goals.
This is what speaking with intention and working with purpose means. Whatever goal you set, you achieve it.
And you can be like this in all aspects of your life – not just work. Be unstoppable.