Term ‘role’ is most often associated with the position you hold in your work. In fact, it can have greatly wider meaning. Think how many different roles you have right now in your life. Being parent, friend, mentor, neighbor, diligent employee or trusty employer. The list could go on and on…
Building Relations
Quite often in our lives, we like to focus on one key area. Let’s be honest, it makes perfect sense. We live in times of specialization, where proficient expertise is on the money. Thus getting right focus is so important. Still, if you think about this, people are more complex than just one area. No one is just excellent technical expert or amazing people manager. There is always something more.
That is why it is important to be aware of what really matters for you. Using a concept of ‘roles’ may help a bit. Let’s start with easy example – let say you are a people manager. Focusing on right people management is key. But there are probably other roles as well. Being colleague for coworkers (cooperating and supporting your peers). Being a mentor for a talent that is outside of your area. Being a diligent mentee that wants to develop. Being dedicated project team member, when the need will come etc. Again, the list could go on and on…
Remember, that just work! Now think about all other areas, like family, friends, local communities, hobbies etc. In each of those areas, you could try to define your current roles. Again, examples of being: son or daughter, parent, sister or husband, best friend, leader or participant of any organization/initiative. Probably list of roles within each of those areas could be as long as in initial, work related example.
Ok, how it’s useful?
Now, it’s all really cool, but why do I need this role concept? Let me start with quite popular and probably overused term: self-awareness. Yes, it really makes the difference if your deeply understand your own motivations. Understanding of your roles can make it easier. How to do it? Let’s draw a very simple picture here:
1. List all general roles that are important for you. Those could be work (i.e. being a successful entrepreneur) or family (i.e. parent) related. Probably hobbies will show up as well (i.e. member of volleyball team).
2. Try to sort them in the list. Making sure that the most important roles are at the top. It may seem as easy exercise, as theoretically roles you written down first are most important. In fact though, those roles are the ones you spend the most time on. Ask yourself a question, is it really most important in my life?
3. Take top 2 or 3 general roles and try to go into as many details as possible. Imagine what would look like for you fulfilling that role perfectly. Write it down. That will help you to visualize success in your focus area.
4. This point is key: make sure you spend your time doing those various roles as per your priorities. Ultimately it’s what we do that matters, not what we say or plan to do.
Once you complete above, keep your notes. I believe it’s really good exercise and to make it work it should not be one off. After a year or so try to repeat it. Probably there will be no revolution, still some priorities will change and certain roles will disappear or will be added to the list.
Summary
I initially thought that understanding roles we have in our life might help to get the right focus. I have to admit that this is true. Still, there is more you can get from it, which is understanding the right balance. Just look at the list of all roles or general areas you have written down. Are you sure you spend enough time in each of those? Is it align to what is on the top of your list?
For me personally, this exercise helped to get a wider perspective on what really matters. Then on daily basis, I realized that the right balance is more important that full commitment to one area. All in all, it makes your successes more sustainable – as daily satisfaction you get is wider than just initial narrow focus area.
Let me know what you think on above. Was 4-step exercise useful for you?