How to Consider the Intangibles

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We often read and talk about setting goals, setting measurable goals with a clear endpoint, but what if you have intangible ideas that are not finite? How do you describe these to those around you?

No Finite End Goal

Many times as a leader we have to motivate and guide people on a path with no clear end goal. Further than this, we have to take into account many intangibles that are invisible to everyone else, making you appear indecisive to those around you.

Your ideas may come across as vague, even though they are extremely complex, making it hard to share them or get your team to rally around them.

This is something we all experience as leaders, but very few talk about. The truth is, there is no clear fix or right answer, and it comes down to building trust with you team. If you team trusts you, they will follow you, even when the end goal is not clear. They’ll stick with you while your end goal and path develop.

Feedforward

Another situation where intangibles come into play is when you talk about someone’s future. We all have inflection points in our careers that change our trajectory for the better. However, when these situations will be is unknown, and as leaders we can only make calculated assumptions as to how specific actions will affect someone’s career.

Again, this is a time where the intangibles play a huge role and can often be difficult to describe.

Feedforward is a method where you review someone’s potential, you look at what they could do and what results that could bring for their future. While this may seem vague and intangible, it can be hugely beneficial to helping someone develop their career.

Professional Compassion

When it comes to dealing with intangibles, patience and compassion can go a long way. We’ve all been lead by someone who is struggling to describe an idea or goal because of its lack of tangibility. As developing leaders, we can help other leaders by showing professional compassion in these moments, understanding the importance of a goal or idea that may seem intangible.

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