It’s great to make a list of goals for 2012. We all do that every year. But how many of us actually manage to achieve our goals with all our good intentions?

We need to train ourselves to think outside the box- Claudette Portelli

Before embarking to become the first person to summit Mount Everest, Sir Edmund Hillary carefully devised several sets of plans that aimed to render his venture successful. Just like mountain climbers, we need to construct a realistic action plan taking in consideration our resources and energies but also our limits, strengths and weaknesses. Previously used methods or failed attempts, which often make us go round in circles, making us lose sight of our objective, should also be examined.

We need to train ourselves to think outside the box and free ourselves from rigid mind frames to be able to embrace new scenarios. Then just like Sir Edmund, we need to break down our macro-objective into action steps, so that we can take specific action towards our goal.

What’s the secret? The secret is that there is no secret. We all hold the potential to do so. As Abraham Lincoln said: “That some achieve great success is proof to all that others can achieve it as well”. We just need to focus our resources and efforts in the right direction.

By making use of problem-oriented techniques and solution- focused techniques (School of Milwaukee), the brief strategic approach in these last 20 years, has become an internationally recognised method in bringing even lightweight agents of change or problem-solvers, to create action plans that can effectively and efficiently guide them to reach their desired objectives.

Strategic action planning will be the focus of a seminar at the Hotel Phoenicia, Floriana, on Wednesday, January 25. A simple model which can be applied by anyone, in various organisational and personal situations will be presented through a ‘learning by doing’ training experience.

Participants will be able to design a strategic action plan tailored onto their specific situation, enabling them to transform their present limits into resources.

More information is available at www.wdmalta.com.

Dr Portelli is a strategic coach and trainer at W&D’s Business Advisory Unit.