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Sustaining the Journey Archive
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March 22, 2010
Universal Goals
As new coaches, it is sometimes challenging to hear desired states rather than to go to solution
listening and journey goals. It is helpful to think about what it will be like when a person
has arrived rather than how they will get there.
Genie LaBorde1 offers a useful construct for hearing broad, destination goals. She
describes three universal goals that cross cultures. All humans seek identity, connectedness,
and potency. Here are some problems that represent low resource in each of the three arenas:
Identity: I just don't seem to feel valued in this organization. My voice isn't important
to the decisions. I am uncertain who to be in our meetings.
Connectedness: Our team is just a bunch of individuals doing their own thing. We seem
to have no common goals and hardly work together on anything.
Potency: I hate that all these decisions are being made without any input. I like a
few people are in control of the destiny of so many.
Each of us needs to feel a sense of self about whom we are which goes to our identity. Connectedness
means we feel a part of something larger than ourselves. We know we influence others and are
influenced by others toward a greater good. Potency means there is a sense of influence, control,
and impact. Some goals for the above examples might be:
Identity: What you want is to be an important voice in the organization.
Connectedness: What you want is to have a collaborative and collegial workplace.
Potency: What you want is to be an influential member of an inclusive organization.
As you listen to colleagues this week, frame goals in terms of these three universal goals.
Reflect on how these assist you in hearing broad, first party, destination goals.
1LaBorde, Genie. Influencing with integrity. Palo
Alto: Science and Behavior Books : Syntony Publishing, 1984.
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