Reality Check

I’m part of a mentoring program at our church. They gave out a homework assignment where we received an 8-inch puzzle piece in the mail and were instructed to do anything to it to tell our story: draw on it, cut and paste photos, anything. After I let out an audible groan and nervously looked at it while it waited patiently on my desk for a few days, I finally set aside some quiet time to think about what my life story is. I’m a visual guy, so I used images – some original and some borrowed from Google – to tell my story.

It actually was a great exercise. It was my personal reality check … an opportunity to reflect on those carefully chosen images and compare them to how I prioritize my very blended (personal and professional) life. But to be a true reality check, others around me needed to confirm or correct my assumption. I got my validation!

Our firm actually does reality checks for clients. We call them brand audits. We usually conduct them around a brand realignment project, but they are valuable business guides at any time along an organization’s journey. When was the last time you did one for your organization – or yourself? You don’t need a puzzle piece. But you do need others to participate. Look within and outside your organization or inner circle to participate in your assessment. If you don’t like what you learn, then do something to bring reality closer to your perception or desire.