Choosing the Path of Success | A Q&A with Phil Olley

“At the moment my body slumped forward, my tongue swelled to fill my mouth, my mind went into overdrive, and my head began to spin. I felt as if I was about to pass out.

But I wasn’t passing out. I was passing away.”

Following a life-changing near-death experience, Phil Olley made the decision live his most fulfilled life ever, and help others achieve theirs. He began working with businesses, teams and individuals to help them set goals, generate peak performance, and dramatically improve results.

Phil came into the Speakers Corner Towers, and we had many questions on his near-death experience, achieving and maintaining success, productivity and performance within a business and how to set and achieve goals.

When you came in to talk to us, you told us about the life-changing moment you experienced, how did it change your outlook on life?

I became very much more focused on what I wanted my life to be about. I became very clear about where and how to utilise my resources… particularly my time. The whole experience shook me up and made me grateful for the life I have. At the same time, it sent me on a search for how to live the most fulfilled life possible, and to look at those people who are high achievers and see what they do differently from the vast majority. What’s their secret? Initially, this was a fascination for me, so I could learn how to live my best life possible (and this is not about ‘bucket lists’). Soon I realised that I could create a toolkit of ideas, strategies, tools and techniques to help others achieve the results, success, and fulfilment that they want too, and that’s what I’ve devoted my life to.

You also talked a lot about the success zone. What is it and what are some of the characteristics of those who have achieved the highest success?

We all have different values, and different goals, so the success zone is different for everyone.

However, those who reach their success zone, have a number of key characteristics.

• They have a keen sense of purpose and significance.
• They are playing to their highest strength (their unique talent).
• They have a sense of personal responsibility for their lives, businesses, careers; they are very clear about what success means to them; and they have clear goals.
• They also move seamlessly into taking action to achieve those goals. And, they sustain that action, until they reach their goals.

For many people this is done unconsciously, because they have such clarity of where they want to get to.

As an expert on increasing performance and productivity, what are some of your top tips for businesses?

1. Create a congruent, compelling, clear vision, based on the values and purpose of the business. Communicate this to the team.
2. Have a simple masterplan of how to get there. Identify a strategic objective and create goals that lead to this.
3. Work on a series of breakthrough missions, each around 90 days, that build to the objective.
4. Get focused. Utilise resources (time, energy, money) in a way that reflects the goals. Invest for success.
5. Systemise, to humanise. Systemise 90% of what you do, so you can humanise the 10% that makes the big difference.
6. Know your Key Result Areas… those activities that create the results. Have performance standards for these areas. Measure the activity and results in these areas.
7. Have fun: appreciate the efforts of everyone who contributes and create an environment where excellence flourishes… a culture of achievement.
8. Look for the extra-ordinary.

What are some of the ways you set goals and go about achieving them?

When setting goals, start with clarity of the goal itself.

What is the goal, specifically? Why do you want to achieve it? What purpose does the achievement of the goal serve? Where does it fit in the long-term plan, the vision, of where you want to be?

Create a clear vision… a powerful mental image of achievement of the goal.

Write the goal down. I have a very specific methodology for this. This includes a moment of commitment to the goal, where I turn it into a ‘self-promise’.

Depending on the size and scale of the goal, create a masterplan of how it will be achieved, with timescales.

Identify the Key Factor… all goals have a ‘key factor’ – an action around which the achievement of the goal depends.

Remove barriers. Identify and nullify anything that could get in the way.

Take action… sometimes, a big bold move within the first 24 hours will unlock all sorts of opportunities.

If there was one key message that you would want the audience to take away from your speech, what would it be?

Success is about choice. Your life, your business, your career, your relationships are all a matter of choice. This is your one chance to make that choice.

And finally, Phil, what’s next for you?

I’m currently working on my fourth book. I’m also enjoying the speaking I’m doing and the work I do with my private clients. And I am holding some three-day Strategic Retreats for business leaders to help them reconnect with their ‘cause’ and create a purposeful blueprint for their next steps.

Thank you for taking the time to talk to us Phil! We look forward to reading your fourth book.

For further information or to book a speaker, call us on   or email  info@speakerscorner.co.uk .

Newsletter Sign Up

If you liked this article then why not sign up to our newsletters? We promise to send interesting and useful interviews, tips and blogs, plus free event invites too.