Harness the Power of The Main Thing

Brussel sprouts. Sit-ups. Goal tracking. It’s funny how we resist what’s good for us.

During my weekly client check-ins, the last question on our agenda is, “What's the Main Thing?“

The Main Thing is a goal we set on a quarterly basis. Answering the question helps to keep that goal front of mind every week.

But when I first introduce the concept of the Main Thing and how we’ll practice during on-boarding, nearly everyone groans, laughs nervously, and pushes back a little. Or a lot.

Usually the bigger the team, the stronger they push back.

But the data is undeniable. Consistently, I see surprising, unexplainable results come out of setting and tracking the Main Thing.

Often the goal is reached in the last week, or even the last day of the quarter.

After collaborating on this for a quarter or two and celebrating the results, they're more than happy to say the Main Thing out loud.

To make it easier for her team to remember, one client even turned her goal into a limerick. The exchange went like this:

Jeff: And… what's the Main Thing?

Kate: Our marketing firm (from LA),

Has so many good things to say.

We booked three brand new deals,

on the strength of our spiels,

this year between March and May.

Silly? Yes, but in a good way. Effective? Highly. They actually booked four new deals between March and May.

The Main Thing isn’t a silver bullet, but it’s close.

Key considerations when setting and reviewing the Main Thing:

·         Select a goal that everyone on the team can contribute to.

·         It’s ok for team members to “cheat” and read the goal on a post-it. The magic comes from saying it out loud, not from rote memorizations.

·         If they say it wrong the first time, give them another chance to say it right.

What’s your goal this quarter? What’s the Main Thing?