Do you know the one crucial thing you need to do before the second quarter of this year arrives?
It’s a key performance discipline that boosts the likelihood of continual growth and achievement both personally and professionally.
What is it?
It’s an After Action Review (AAR). AAR was developed in the 1970s by the US Army as a learning methodology.
But many companies and performance coaches have adapted it for the business and personal development sectors.
To reach your Q2 goals and make this your best year ever…schedule time to perform an AAR now. Analyze what took place in the first quarter of the year (the good, bad and ugly) and act on the information you discover to plan the coming quarter.
Here are the five steps in an AAR process that Gary Ryan Blair (The Goals Guy) customized for individuals evaluating their personal progress.
Step 1. Identify Your Three Greatest Accomplishments.
Begin the review process by focusing on your wins -- on what you did right. Even if this has been a challenging start to the year for you, look carefully. You’ll likely find something, somewhere for which you are proud.
Step 2. Analyze What You Learned from Each Accomplishment.
Look at each of your three greatest accomplishments and identify what you did well, The purpose here is to leverage, optimize and amplify what you are doing correctly in order to accelerate your goals and results moving forward.
Step 3. Identify Your Biggest Disappointments and How You Let Yourself Down.
Consider any instances of:
- Promises broken.
- Poor execution.
- Standards compromised.
- Opportunities avoided.
- People betrayed.
- Values downplayed.
What can you do to change negative habits, behaviors or attitudes that are holding you back? You will not be as successful as you can be in the second quarter (Q2) if you remain stuck in your old patterns of behavior and beliefs.
Step 4. Analyze What You Learned from Each Failure or Disappointment.
It is tempting to avoid analyzing one’s past mistakes. Doing so would be unfortunate and a missed opportunity – we often learn the best and most from our mistakes.
Though some people will never admit to it, mistakes are common to all us humans. A true measure of adult maturity is recognizing this. Acknowledge and analyze your mistakes: what preceded them, what could you have done differently, and how can you prevent them from reoccurring and hobbling you in the future.
Step 5: Use This Information to Set Goals for the 2nd Quarter.
If you want to perform at the top of your game…you must reflect, review, and respond to the information obtained through the AAR process.
Take into consideration your schedule, your interactions, your management style or whatever else you’ve uncovered in the previous questions and build yourself a new, improved and superior approach.
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Remember, the goal of your AAR of Q1 is not to torture yourself…but a process to discover goals and priority activities you need to focus on in Q2.
If you’d like more help in planning Q2 and making this your best year ever, you can begin by getting your copy of this manifesto and applying the strategies you’ll find within it.
Join me in this process for a productive and prosperous second quarter.
Resources
Gary Ryan Blair's Comeback Manifesto
Disclosure
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