“To understand the heart and mind of a person, look not at what he has already achieved, but at what he aspires to.”
— Kahlil Gibran
If you ever lean toward cynical humor, or you are just tired of peppy, motivational posters, then you probably enjoy some of the posters, calendars and other ‘gifts’ that come from Despair, Inc. (https://despair.com/collections/demotivators).
To paraphrase from one of their items, “Get to work, you are not paid to believe in the power of your dreams.”
Think about your CV (curriculum vitae), your LinkedIn profile and what you look for when you are hiring. It is all about achievements. What have you accomplished? What have you delivered? Does anyone care about your aspirations?
To be fair, MOST of you are part of teams who are being paid to produce. Your job is to meet tight deadlines with budgets just as tight (or tighter). Who has time for aspirations?
What place do aspirations have in an achievement driven world? Where do project ideas come from? Some are rooted in compliance and operational issues and profit margins, but some come from what your organization aspires to be. Those project aspirations represent your organization and what it represents and why it exists.
Aspirations can turn into projects and projects have plans. The aspirations of your colleagues and potential new team members are part of their personal project plans. Your personal aspirations are part of your personal project plan.
Your aspirations describe who you are and what you represent. When you interview potential team members, their aspirations tell you what they represent. Ask your team members about their aspirations and you just might learn about what motivates them. The team member who aspires to be a famous actor, just might be motivated by giving presentations and being in the spotlight. Your team member who aspires to provide shelter for the homeless could be an excellent choice for a project that is driven by compassion.
Of course consider whether or not someone can do more than dream when you are hiring, but consider their dreams too. You are hiring the whole person; their heart and their mind and their ability to produce all come together.