Author: Anil Bandara
Executive Coach | Organizational Development & Business Consultant | Director of Smart Quest
In the whirlwind of daily responsibilities, it’s easy to lose sight of what truly matters. We often find ourselves reacting to circumstances rather than proactively shaping our paths. This is where the power of setting intentions comes into play—especially when coaching for clarity and purpose.
Over my years in retail, strategy development, and organizational transformation across Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and Nepal, I have witnessed the profound impact of clarity on success. Whether steering a start-up through its survival phase or optimizing the operations of established businesses, the process begins with a simple yet powerful question: What do we really want to achieve?
What Are Intentions?
Intentions are not just goals. They are deeply rooted desires that reflect our values and vision. While goals are specific and measurable, intentions provide the emotional fuel that motivates us to pursue those goals with purpose.
For example, in my early days managing retail operations, I learned that achieving sales targets required more than strategies and systems. It demanded a clear intention to create a shopping experience that truly resonated with customers. Setting this intention helped align teams, streamline efforts, and consistently deliver results.
Why Coaching Matters?
Coaching is a transformative tool for setting intentions. It creates a space for reflection, helping individuals and teams uncover their true aspirations. As a coach, I guide my clients to move from a reactive mindset—where they merely address challenges as they arise—to a proactive one, where they set purposeful intentions to shape their future.
Take a moment to ask yourself:
- What is truly important to me or my team?
- What values underpin our work?
- How can we align our daily actions with these values?
When we approach our work with this clarity, we begin to see meaningful progress.
The Practical Side of Setting Intentions
Setting intentions may sound abstract, but it becomes powerful when translated into daily actions. Here are practical steps to make this process meaningful and sustainable:
- Pause and Reflect with Purpose
In the fast-paced business world, intentional pauses are rare but essential. Set aside regular time—weekly or monthly—to reflect on personal and organizational goals. Use questions like:
- What impact do I want to create this month?
- Are my actions aligned with my long-term vision?
Writing these reflections down transforms vague ideas into clear intentions.
- Visualize Success
Visualization bridges the gap between intention and reality. Picture how success looks and feels, not just in numbers but in emotions and experiences. During my time leading retail operations, I often encouraged teams to visualize customer satisfaction beyond sales figures, which naturally led to better service and increased revenue.
- Align Intentions with Values
Intentions are most effective when aligned with core values. Identify your personal or organizational values and ensure that your intentions reflect them. For example, if “customer-centricity” is a core value, set an intention like “To actively seek and implement customer feedback to enhance their experience.”
- Set Micro-Intentions Daily
Big goals can feel overwhelming. Break them down into micro-intentions each day. This could be as simple as:
- Today, I will give focused attention to mentoring a team member.
- I will handle challenges with patience and openness.
These small actions, repeated consistently, create momentum.
- Accountability and Feedback Loops
Share your intentions with someone you trust—a mentor, coach, or peer. Regular check-ins and feedback encourage follow-through. In teams, this fosters a culture of shared purpose and mutual support.
- Adapt and Evolve
Intentions are not set in stone. As situations evolve, so should your intentions. Regular reviews allow you to refine and realign them with emerging challenges and opportunities.
My Journey with Coaching and Purpose
My career journey—spanning over two decades in retail, strategy, and organizational development—has been deeply intertwined with the practice of setting clear intentions. Early in my career, managing large teams in the retail sector, I noticed that performance improved not just with better systems but with clarity of purpose. This insight led me to explore how leaders and teams could align their actions with meaningful goals.
Transitioning into consultancy and coaching, I saw firsthand how businesses struggle not due to a lack of ideas but because of a lack of focus. In Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and Nepal, I worked with organizations navigating start-up challenges and growth phases. The turning point for many came when they shifted from reactive problem-solving to proactive intention-setting.
My engagement with the International Coaching Federation (ICF) deepened my understanding of how coaching empowers individuals to tap into their potential. Coaching is not about giving answers but asking the right questions—encouraging reflection, fostering self-awareness, and driving purposeful action. This belief drives my passion for human capacity development.
When I first met a mid-level manager transitioning into a leadership role, he was overwhelmed by operational tasks and hesitant to delegate, fearing a loss of control. Through coaching, he set a clear intention: “To empower my team to make decisions, freeing me to focus on strategic growth.” This shift in mindset allowed him to build trust within his team, implement focused actions like regular one-on-one meetings, and transition from a reactive to a strategic leader. The results were transformative—his team thrived, and he developed the clarity and capacity to lead with purpose..
Today, my work focuses on creating environments where individuals and organizations thrive by setting clear intentions. Whether through strategic consulting or leadership coaching, my goal remains the same—to ignite purposeful action that leads to meaningful results.
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