Know why you do what you do. That is what harnessing the power of intention in your life boils down to. Last week, I wrote a post on this subject called “The HR Point of View” for the “We Know Next” blog published by the Society for Human Resources Management (SHRM). Granted, this particular post is pointed at HR professionals, but the underlying message and call to action is true for anyone in any profession.
If you want to be exceptional at what you do, if you want to truly make an impact, then you need to cultivate a point of view about your work. You need to be very clear about what matters to you when it comes to your work and what great work looks like. And, you need to know where you are willing to draw the line.
The thing that I didn’t address in my SHRM post is that most people avoid having a point of view for a simple reason–fear. When you adopt a point of view or a specific philosophy about your work, it means that there will be times when you have to take a stand and push back. That means conflict and most of us hate conflict, it’s wired into us.
Developing a point a view indicates that you are at least intellectually willing to take a stand, to face the conflict. But, it takes courage to actually hold the line when the conflict comes. And many of us get petrified at the notion of this kind of conflict.
But, here’s the thing–it is on the other side of the choice to make that stand where all of your excellence lives. Once you make a choice to practice your profession on your terms and in the way that allows you to best show your talents, you will be able to accomplish things that don’t seem possible today.