February 8, 2010 140 Comments

Pursue the Goal Not the Method

In the back of a town car hired to take me to the Kansas City International airport, talking to Jeff, a driver with two kids, self-proclaimed ADD, and a history of quitting rote sales jobs every few months, I realized something of importance to the story of what’s brought me to this place: I am a seeker of the goal, not the method. Now, to unpack.

The Method Is What We’re Taught to Pursue

We learn our times tables. We learn the 50 states (in the US, at least). We are taught all these rules, these patterns, these systems, these methods. Musicians learn their scales. Painters copy the Masters. Copy. Learn. Make patterns.

Repetition. Finding grooves. Fitting into our assembly lines. Aligning to the way we understand how to measure.

Method. The process by which we get somewhere. Kempo karate is a method of fighting. Kicking the other guy’s ass is the goal.

You see this, right?

“New” is Rarely a Byproduct of Repetition

Except when it is. iPod was a whole new way of framing the music story: 1000 songs (not megabytes and gigabytes). iTunes store not just an orphaned player. Wheel and single button, not a slew of buttons.

And the Nano is the baby of the original, but the iPhone is nothing like the original, except they removed the wheel and left only one button. New. Again.

Now, repetition isn’t the only facet of method, and method isn’t bad. I need to be clear about that. But focusing on perfecting one’s method isn’t as useful as focusing on solving for the goal.

Pursue the Goal, Not the Method

I addressed the International Association of Business Communicators at the Uptown Theater in Kansas City, a painted lady teetering between demolition and emotional buttressing. The room was, as it always is, filled with that mix of the converted, the confused, the naysayers, the proof (that it all works), and me. Me, the street preacher, the jester, the irreverent, the addle-brained and yet target-minded sayer of what everyone swears they already know and blogs that they’ve seen it all before. Common sense. Be human. Be real.

I imagine some of them at their desk today, looking at their monitor, digging into their email, looking at their stats, settling back into the warm cottony folds of what they know how to do, what they were taught to do, what they practiced and repeated and did again and again. Trenchwork, some of it. And some of them are damned pleased and okay to be pleased by performing it.

But some of my people, some of those who saw something, felt the sparkle, caught a whiff of what I’m cooking, they got what I was saying. Old roads have precious little to do with new paths. What came before doesn’t have to explain what should be done next. We don’t have to repeat repeat repeat repeat.

I read once that every cell in our body completely recycles every four days. Perhaps I have it wrong, but when I think of that, I’m caught. I wonder why my scar from cutting my left ring finger while pulling a fern out of the ground during a Boy Scout survival weekend still persists. I wonder why I still have cowlicks in my hair. If every cell is new again, why can’t I be someone else every four days? But this is a side thought. This is a distraction for you to ponder. Scientists need not apply: I’m a disciple of accepting mystery instead of seeking truth. (Delusional, maybe, but pleasantly surprised? Yes.)

Methods change. It’s not that you shouldn’t learn methods, but rather that you should be ready to switch methods by facing the goals.

And Here At the End, The Goal

You will do so much more with your pursuits should you become a pursuer of the goal, and not a student of the method. Okay, SOME of you will. Others, you need the repetition, the ritual, the comfort. That is so very okay. Religion is all that. Okay, most religion is all that. Most religion is the method.

Seek the goal. The goal is equipping people. The goal is satisfying need. The goal is seeking to better others. The goal is to provide. The goal is to make everything work better.

See how that works? Think about your goals. Think about your company’s goals. What if you threw out EVERY method you were using before this very moment? The goals would still be there.

What if you left email behind and used ONLY voice? Could you still reach your goal? What if I stopped blogging and only sent you emails? What if we all shut our computers off? (Not sure we could ever get that genie back into the bottle.) What if we switched to mobile-centric design?

Goals. Not. Methods.

And you said…

Photo credit Dru Bloomfield

The Genesis Framework empowers you to quickly and easily build incredible websites with WordPress. Whether you're a novice or advanced developer, Genesis provides you with the secure and search-engine-optimized foundation that takes WordPress to places you never thought it could go.

With automatic theme updates and world-class support included, Genesis is the smart choice for your WordPress website or blog.

Find out more about the framework features
Check out the Genesis demo and the wide variety of child themes
See example designs in the Genesis design showcase

Become a StudioPress Affiliate

http://www.charleslau.com Charles Lau

Good thoughts! A lot of people have been pursuing the method, and not the goal… In the end, it is not very sustaining in terms of interest… Looking at the big picture, people simply come in and go after created an online presence…

With a goal in mind, there is always something to work towards… And it always tastes sweet when we see some results…
http://www.innerexcellence.com/ Jim Murphy

Lots of great thoughts Chris, as well as comments from everyone else. As a Performance Coach to elite athletes I've thought about this a lot. I think what Chris is saying is that your purpose, like your greatest goals and dreams, should be a solid foundation. It encompasses who you are.

Methods and circumstances will change, but your true self is where you will always be most powerful and from which you should never stray. Your true self is most powerful when you contribute your gifts for the greater good. Having a purpose beyond your own needs and wants moves fear aside as you focus on serving others.

Interestingly, the best way to develop self-awareness and move towards realizing your goals and dreams is to live fully in this moment; to focus on the process. When you embrace right now, without judgment, then you can see possibilities. Don't get caught up in circumstances or latch onto methods and overlook the big picture.
http://www.twitter.com/hrinke Heather Rinke

The idea of being conscious of the goal rather than focusing entirely on the method makes sense, to an extent. I also agree with many of the comments here that the method still holds importance in achieving the goal.

What can be a challenge is the ability to look at the method and assess if it is still the ideal method to achieve that goal. How many become comfortable in the method that it doesn't even occur to them to look for alternatives, especially if the current method is still achieving results?

Seems that a balance of awareness and assessment of both drives continuous improvement.
RobertGerrow

Tremendous points, Chris.

I remember the business school story (it may have been somewhat metaphoric) about the tool company that had trouble selling drills. They added many bells and whistles, like an on-board bit carrying case, new color options, and laser sighting.

What they realized is that people who buy drills don't want drills. They want holes.

Nothing they had added helped meet that Goal. So they added a light to see better in tight spaces and more flexible power utilization, and sales took off.

As a relatively new small business owner, I find myself getting bogged down in the warm, comfortable blanket of Method, sometimes at the expense of innovation. Updating QuickBooks is that “hit” of Method, when I should be working on the next marketing initiative. I constantly have to review my Goals; to be sure I'm working towards them.

In reviewing other comments, there are a number on the need for Method. I agree, with the caveat that you can't let compliance with Method become the Goal. I may have the best damn set of QuickBooks files in my industry, but if I don't talk to enough customers in my industry, it doesn't make one bit of difference. I can hire someone to keep my books. I can't hire someone to be me, so that's where I try to draw the line between the two.
http://amandamagee.com amandamagee

Searingly true as methodology is often what slows achieving goals. I've been guilty of not setting enough goals and trying to rehabilitate my methods, great redirect, thanks!
Ben Jones

Hi Chris, thanks for the thought-provoking post. It gets to that age old Machiavellian question – do the ends justify the means? I definitely see this in business a lot – people who have become “homers” for a certain process or technique. It's the hammer in their hand and everything they lay their eyes on is a nail. We're all guilty of that from time to time. Your reminder is a valid one. Stop and make sure we aren't “straining at a gnat and swallowing a camel” all in the name of adherence to a method that may or may not be helping us get to the place we want to go.

In his book “How Life Imitates Chess”, Garry Kasparov talks about how he often adjusted his game to defeat the other grand masters, and how his greatest strength was his versatility. He could play your style of chess better than you if he wanted to. The irony is that he only was able to achieve this flexibility with rigorous adherence to a certain practice regiment. Competing at the highest level in games of skill may require this dedication to process. For the rest of us mortals, are there underlying processes / methods that we repeat day after day that allow us to flex our strategy and tactics to achieve our goals?
saramiller

Thanks for reminding us of this philosophy, Chris. I can't tell you how many times I've run up against a method or process getting in the way of a goal. I'll remember to talk to the goal and not the method when facing this issue. BTW – loved you at KC/IABC's conference last week! Thanks for letting us get a glipse into your head!
http://www.smartstepslifecoach.com/ Amanda Miller

Chris, this was an enjoyable and thought provoking blog (especially for those of us who have also wondered about the cell renewal and religion bits – I like the approach of the Unitarians on the latter!) I consider what we have to repeat during an average workday as 'targets' rather than 'goals'. I hated annual performance review time when goals were thrust upon me from my manager. Arguing that these were just targets, and not my personal goals didnt go down well! My own goals are more complex than increasing sales/profit etc. And as for SMART goals, (sorry Brian Tracy), but they always feel like SMART targets too.
http://twitter.com/kevindmackey Kevin Mackey

Hey Chris – Great thoughts. I'd suspect you of lifting my Feb 6 'Methods vs. Outcomes' post, but yours is more thoughtful and thorough, plus I'm pretty sure you have more than enough ideas on your own. ;-)

My favorite line from your post is “Methods change. It’s not that you shouldn’t learn methods, but rather that you should be ready to switch methods by facing the goals.”

Amen. We mustn't be too stubborn to learn new methods to achieve our goals. Applies not only to business, but to parenting, relationships, politics, sports…
stevecrescenzo

Great post, Chris. And great talk in Kansas City.

You helped to reinforce the points I made in my opening session at that KC conference. Business communicators have a slew of tried-and-false methods: the news release with the fake quote; the grip and grin photo; the ribbon-cutting shot; the buzzword-laden article in the employee publication; the boring, PowerPoint-drenched Town Hall meetings . . . they don't work anymore, but they are the methods people are most comfortable with.

Once they decide to stop doing “corporate communications” and instead do 'creative communications” and explore new, scary, exciting but DIFFERENT methods for reaching those same audiences, great things can happen.

Great meeting you in KC.

Steve C.
http://infinitecomm.net/ Parham Nabatian

Carl Rogers, one of psychology's best minds said it best, “The good life is a process, not a state of being. It is a direction not a destination.” I believe goals are all about direction.

Almost 2 years ago, I started my Internet marketing and public relations company – every one I know had a thought or “method” about how we would become a profitable business. There are so many ways of operating a business like this that there is no one right or wrong way of doing it – so the method will always change and improve according to our strengths.

But the direction and goal has always been the same – create profitable campaigns for our clients. And that is why we are a profitable company.

Parham
http://www.ryanhanley.com/about Ryan Hanley

This is a hard one. The Goal is the goal… But do you need the Method to reach the goal? Doesn't persistence to the Method get you to the Goal?

I like to be creative in what I do which is Insurance (see http://www.ryanhanley.com), but when I get more creative and lose the Method my production (atleast short-term) falls. I struggle with this question.
thanks Chris.

http://facebookofsex.over-blog.com facebooksex

Great blog, but i don’t full agree

natfinn

Method and Goal are often two elements of the same equation. I believe, in the end, the idea is to achieve the result.

If math shows us anything it shows us that there's more than one way to get to the answer of the equation.

Chicken? Egg? Chicken? Egg?

So long as one gets their omelet.

Thank you for making me reconsider it.
http://www.slice-works.com krabil57

Jim,

I especially like your second paragraph–dead on! I just recently read the same thing in book called, “Slaying the Giants in Your Life,” by David Jeremiah.
http://www.slice-works.com krabil57

Great post about problem-solving and innovation, Chris. Are you a fact-finder, follow-thru, quick start or implementor? See http://www.kolbe.com/learnAboutYou/reduce-stres…
http://twayneking.blogspot.com Tom King

You're absolutely right, Chris. You hit the nail square on the head. The proof is in how nervous it makes some of us to even think about stepping outside our process-dominated way of thinking.

I always tell the nonprofits with whom I consult that every organization needs one of these process hounds on staff in order to make the regulators (who are also process hounds) happy. Make them bookkeepers, administrative assistants or something like that, but whatever you do, don't put them in charge unless you want to see your mission grind to a stop!

We were taught this kind of thinking in school. It's to my way of thinking, the great failing of American education.

It's as though we were taught all about our crayons, the names of the colors, how to apply them to paper, how to sharpen them and store them safely, the best brands and the correct papers to use, but NOT anything about why we would want to use the crayons for anything. Is it any wonder we gravitate toward a system that emphasizes crayon tracking, crayon inventory control, crayon wear rates and inevitably crayon access? Why aren't we teaching how to think the thoughts that make us want to create art rather than focusing primarily on the tools of the artist?

We are a nation of trained builders with no idea what we should build.

I got carried away and wrote a whole blog's worth of comment about this the first time. I had to move it to over to my blog and start over with this comment. That happens when something inspires….. as this piece did. I linked to this blog from mine and referred to it. I hope you don't mind. The link is at:

http://apocalypseobserved.blogspot.com/2010/02/…

Tom King – Flint, TX
Elizabeth_H

As you and others have mentioned, the methods may change but if it's what you really want, your goals will not. Focusing on the goal rather than the method allows you to think outside of the box. It gives you more freedom to come up with creative perhaps less used methods.
bencurnett

I've always thought of it like this:

There's principle. And there's process. The principles are fixed. The processes always change.

Interesting that others think in this same way. Makes me feel like I'm in very good company.
http://veryofficialblog.com Shannon Paul

Good Lord I hope people get this. Methods that have been proven to the point of being empirical are one thing. Ass-kicking falls into this category. Human anatomy being relatively stable from an evolutionary standpoint for thousands of years, ass-kicking methods are fairly well-established. However, the whole social media/social business thing is new. Now there are those who argue that the “social” method of doing business is a throwback to the very old way of doing things when communities were tightly connected and collaboration was necessary because resources were scarce, however for all intents and purposes social IS new when you realize that the new way runs contrary to 99% of established methods of doing business.

There is no new method to doing the social piece. The only way to discover new methods is to keep the goal in focus and test, test, measure and repeat. Plus, the rate of change is just too rapid right now for new empirical methods to surface. New methods will only work until they don't. ;-)

Then what? Some will try to force the method to continue to work for the sake of the method while others realign with the goal and remember what they were trying to do in the first place. I know where I'll be.
TaylorEllwood

Method is your process for reaching the goal. You need to understand the process and adapt it as needed to realize your goal.
http://twitter.com/tamadear Tamsen McMahon (@tamadear)

They're inseparable.

Goal, but no way of getting there = goal not reached.
Method, with no goal = goal not reached.

To get anywhere, you need to know where you're going (the destination), and you need to have *some* idea of how you're going to get there (a map). The map may change. And it should, depending on what you learn as you get closer.

And no, you can't follow someone else's map–you have to draw your own, one that you can and are willing to follow.

That, I think, is what confuses us. Others' maps are often gibberish to us. Yours might be wide open, with just a few signposts. Mine might be highly detailed–3D even. We'll look at each others'–and think the other person can't possibly succeed with such a map, such a method.

But the right way to get to a goal? The way that works for us.
kahuna7

Very well put, Chris. However, I see not the need for the subtle cap on religion… especially when this blog came in the same email as your carefully crafted email about not sending a certain message through even slight negativity. Religion and marketing are so very different inherently that one can truly espouse dogma in one (especially when the dogma is made to be relevant in modern times through well crafted sermons, studies, and applicable actions) and yet espouse the goal in another without regard to dogged dogma.

Please, keep making me think… I LOVE IT!

BTW, about half way through Trust Agents and loving every page!
http://thebrandbuilder.wordpress.com olivierBlanchard

Crap. I was going to say something really enlightened about how goals without method are pipe dreams (you still have to know how to get from here to there, and do it exceedingly well), but Chris Penn, Shannon Paul and several others beat me to it. Even down to my Karate analogy: Goal = win. Method = Karate. (Okay, Chris Penn prefers Kenpo. Me, Aikido.)

The point being: Yes – focusing on method and tactics without first clearly understanding the goal(s) or destination is stupid. And yes, I see a lot of people doing this. In fact, many of the questions (if not most of the questions) I get about Social communications seem to focus on method rather than goals:

“How many times per day should I tweet?”
“Should I have a blog?”
“How often should I update my LinkedIn discussions?”
“How many people should I follow?”

The answer is almost always: “It depends. What are you trying to accomplish?”

Goals determine the tactics. Goals dictate the method(s). Not the other way around.

But while many of us understand that tactics and execution have to be fluid, adaptable and flexible, we also know that without method and the combination of experience and discipline behind it, goals won't be properly achieved, if at all. I really want to caution everyone to not switch from one unbalanced point of view to another: Goals + Method = success. The two have to click in order to work.

Cheers.
cathmary

“Old roads have precious little to do with new paths. What came before doesn’t have to explain what should be done next.” LOVE THIS!!!!

Your post today is like manna from Heaven. I read it as: keeping that GOAL in the front of my mind to help me determine which method(s) I need (or want?) to use to reach it…

But the quote above is perfect for me today in assisting me to zero in on describing my own biz to potential clients. Thank you! Thank you!
http://www.riverwoodwriter.com/ RiverwoodWriter

You and Seth Godin are drinking out of the same Koolaid jar on this one…lucky for us who dare to take a sip from time to time. As someone who has too often let the methods (or searching for the right methods) paralyze me from taking action, I am energized to get a glimpse of your perspective and determined to re-read and think about what you've said again. Thank you.
http://megustacooking.com/ cyuskoff

Maybe methods goes deep with people because otherwise we're taking a chance, and frankly, we're terrified of being wrong. But in the words of Ken Robinson, friend and brilliant educator, “If you're not prepared to be wrong, you'll never come up with anything original.”
http://www.ivanasendecka.com/ Ivana Sendecka

;-)
Indeed, it ain't about destination it is about journey we take.
And if we take each step with heart it can reach far beyond the finish line.
Sticking with existing methods is copying someone else journey, which ain't authentic.
And as each and every one of us are unique authentic creatures, we should simply feel deep inside, what is our purpose = goal in life. How to reach there will be revealed when we will decide to step into unknown without any methods, but our faith in goal we are after;-)
Happy blazing your trail, guys.
P.S.: How have I followed my goal by using unusual methods invented along the way? I have revealed it here, in freshly posted video blog http://ivanasendecka.com/2010/02/08/bodyguard-f…
http://mydarabell.com/ Dara Bell

I think in martial arts it is different you have to focus on the method as this is movement of energy. Goal orientation I have found is different. The real performance nirvana is when you and the goal are one. Which is what probably Cristopher meant.

I think the goal setting can be enough, the intention that you set pulls you towards the goal. I would agree with Jim and Krabil. You need to remove the obstacles, the people holding you back, then success comes. I will give you one final killer punch (you making nostalic about martial arts Chris Penn) create shared goals, that mutually are mutually benifital.
http://dresramblings.com Andre Natta

When I first started college, I was an architecture major – giving me a blunt view of the most important rule of all – you have to know the rules in order to know which ones to break or bend.

As folks have suggested above, you're still needing a method, but understand that you must be willing to change the rules midstream in order to innovate and accomplish the goal. The need to make others happy because you followed the way it's been done before only gets you accolades but not necessarily success.

Hopefully the goal is worth being willing to fail from time to time.
Pingback: Still Searching for Context Clues in Microblogs « Only1Go
http://www.twitter.com/danieldecker Daniel Decker

Dang. You just dropped it like it's hot. Preach. I've always prided myself as being one who thinks with the end in mind. Visualize the goal and THEN determine how to cross it (notice I didn't say reach it… but CROSS it). When we pursue the goal and not the method, we free ourselves up from letting detours or roadblocks stop us. Detours and roadblocks being the way it's always been done, the “right” way, the way that worked for someone else but maybe not for me, etc.
Pingback: The Dunning-Kruger Effect & How To Fail Slowly | IvanWalsh.com - Learn How To Run Your Business Online
http://twitter.com/BrandiNGrays Brandi N. Grays

“Seek the goal. The goal is equipping people. The goal is satisfying need. The goal is seeking to better others. The goal is to provide. The goal is to make everything work better.”

This part of the post really resounded with me. I am doing so many new things right now and I am learning a lot of methods. It can be a bit overwhelming sometimes. However, looking at the goal and not all the small steps and upcoming lessons, my motor was recharged. Its like I could see my purpose and drive and passion again.

Thanks for the great post.
Angel Vallejo

As William James said, a man has either to create his own system or be slaved by another man's. To the purpose of your post, I mean that methods are of utmost importance to know and use. After knowing it and using it, one may find a better way to do things, but in the meanwhile, it is safe and useful to follow the existing method.

Of course, one has to be alwaya aware of the difference between method and goal, and pursue the goal. The thing, here, is that sometimes the goal is only achieveable by following the method.

Keep the good work, Chris. Thanks a lot.
http://dataentryjob-s.com/ Lucy

I recently came across your blog and have been reading along. I thought I would leave my first comment. I don't know what to say except that I have enjoyed reading. Nice blog. I will keep visiting this blog very often.

Lucy

http://dataentryjob-s.com
steve

The important thing is to strive towards a goal which is not immediately visible. That goal is not the concern of the mind, but of the spirit.
bariatric surgery
http://www.facebook.com/brucerbrown Bruce Brown

Focus on the “What”, not the “How”! That's another way of stating your point, Chris and absolutely spot on. Lots of parallels are easy to find, like a race car driver focusing on the turn apex instead of every foot of the road, or an athlete focusing only on the goal rather than the sidelines, but particularly in business, if you focus on What you want to accomplish or achieve and give up at least a little on exactly How you'll get it done, you can be open to all types of unexpected assistance and opportunities.
peacehousepaints

I'm a painter/design consultant/mom who has followed your blog for sometime. I enjoy it very much. I've recently realized just this thought that you put down so well. Sometimes just changing the method can make things infinitely smoother and goals much easier to reach (or at least more fun to reach). I appreciate your thoughts and your insight.
http://www.videocampaustin.com/ Talmadge Boyd

I've seen this theme across the web lately. In Linchpin, Seth Godin seems to be saying that we must abandon the machine (yet we need it). Chris Ming Ryan wants us to improve our technique in video blogs.

Perhaps the subtlety and distinction comes AFTER deep, deep practice when you can notice the slightest shifts and see changes.
http://memphisrealestatebuzz.com joespake

Chris, thanks for always forcing me to think outside the box.
campfiresteve

Killer post!
http://twitter.com/industrialmom Jennifer Murphy

I know very little of the martial arts, except what I learned from Kung Fu Panda. Po taught us that 'there is no secret ingredient, it's just you' and I repeat this to my kids in whatever they do. The same goes for business: it's putting your heart into it that really makes it count. Because without the passion for the goal, the method would just be this watered down, going through the motions kind of thing. I have a quote from Brogan on my bulletin board: “I'm not in the getting by game, I'm out to win.” Aren't we all?
Pingback: i am not a social media guru « Levite Chronicles
http://www.talismangallery.com.au/ Ron Fitzpatrick

accepting mystery instead of seeking truth…… I just love that and wish i could it more,because in the mystery is the 'magic'.
Thanks for reminding me,cheers Ron.
http://www.blog.beevok.com/ Yst

Hmm, this is interesting….it was what I was instinctively thinking. Focus on where you want to do, and don't be afraid to change how you go there a bit.
http://www.easypostcardmarketing.com/tag/home-based-internet-businesses home based internet businesses

What a inspiring article…
thanks for sharing Chris.

Goal and Method are different things :)
http://game-changer.net Jorge Barba

Your stance in the world is important to reach your goal but there has to be some level of mastery and for that you have to respect the process, but not so much as to always use the same method and become predictable.

As a practitioner of Ninjutsu which is fluid and not mechanical, it's a combination of other methods (arts) I would add that knowing a little bit of other methods and then including those in your path to the goal opens up other options instead of just following the same tired old method.

Balance is key.
Angel Vallejo

Nice words, Jorge. Being an Aikido practitioner myself, I fully agree with your approach.
Pingback: KC/IABC Blog » Chris Brogan: Pursue the Goal Not the Method
Pingback: KC/IABC Blog » Steve Crescenzo: Can you beat this communication nightmare story?

Pursue the Goal Not the Method

The Method Is What We’re Taught to Pursue

“New” is Rarely a Byproduct of Repetition

Pursue the Goal, Not the Method

And Here At the End, The Goal

ChrisBrogan.com runs on the Genesis Framework

Supporters

About

Subscribe