Be-Do-Have at Work

Be

When you first hear the coaching concept called Be-Do-Have, you might think it’s about as useful as the advice to “be the ball”, generally reserved for parodying us coaches and motivator types. So rather than just talk theory, today I bring you an actual example of someone who applied the Be-Do-Have principle with great success at work.

Deanna was excited about her new responsibilities and leadership role, yet she was also nervous. There were a lot of moving parts, a tight timeframe, and a variety of constituents to satisfy.

Before launching into the details of what needed to get done, Deanna and I had a conversation centered on a single question: Who did she need to be in order to lead the project to a successful outcome? This is how she answered: I need to be confident, creative, and all about them. I need to be focused on helping the team achieve their results and help them get clear on our mission.

This is how Deanna expressed what she wanted to Be, Do, and Have:

Be = the right hand of the customer
Do = Lead, Coach, Communicate, Facilitate
Have = Achievement of goals and accolades

Notice that Deanna’s answer was not about the myriad of detailed tasks to be completed. It described what she wanted to project and how she wanted to interact with others. Her intention was clear.

Do

This mindset impacted Deanna’s decisions and actions throughout the year to such an extent that at one point her boss commented: You’re on fire!

However, on the eve of Deanna’s major deliverable (the production of an industry conference with the participation of some key players), there were last-minute challenges. It seemed likely that everything might fall apart. Rather than immediately react by changing direction, Deanna checked herself and concluded: I’ve done all I can do. I trust the team to deliver.

Have

The successful outcome Deanna aimed for did in fact transpire. For Deanna, Be-Do-Have was more than a nice slogan. Remember the accolades she imagined? Interestingly, she and her team received the organization’s Living the Vision award. It’s clear that the “have” part of Be-Do-Have is something that must be compelling and envisioned long before it materializes.

Later that year during her performance review, Deanna told her boss how she had used the Be-Do-Have model.

This Week’s Call To Action:

• How can you apply the Be-Do-Have principle?
• Think of a current situation or project and envision a successful outcome. In order to achieve that, what are the Be-Do-Have components? As shown above, fill in the blanks as they apply to you: Be = _______, Do = _______, Have = _______.

When you are clear on Who You Want to BE
and can see the picture of What You’d Like to HAVE,
the details of What to DO fall into place.