Posts Tagged ‘setting goals’

We are coming to the end of another year. Like most of us, you probably started the year with some plans. Your plans might have been related to your work, career, business, family or some personal aspiration.

The chances are some things went according to plan, some spectacularly failed and some turned out okay but not quite how you anticipated. I know that, as I look back on the year, there were things I tried that failed in a big way.

For some, failing at all is devastating. For me it is all part of the process of achieving success. We all have our own definition of success. Some of the components that constitute success for me include:

• Having plenty of opportunity to contribute to the success of others.
• Being appropriately rewarded for the skills, experience and expertise I bring for those who work with me.
• Keeping a sense of balance between running a business and having the time to exercise and eat properly.
• Being able to grow, develop and take on new challenges.
• Being able to experiment and try things.

So as you think about planning for a new year, start by defining what success means for you. Taking this simple step will increase the chances of success and help you make the right choices.

So what do you hope to achieve in 2012?

Duncan Brodie of Goals and Achievements helps professional people become great leaders and managers. Sign up for his free audio e-course Leadership Success at www.goalsandachievements.co.uk.

Mistake 1
• Using vague or non-specific terms like efficient, effective and quality, to name just a few.

Mistake 2

• Creating a list of activities, rather than results orientated goals.

Mistake 3

• Not defining what will be different when the goal is achieved.

Mistake 4

• Not linking them to the overall vision and mission of the organisation.

Mistake 5

• Not setting a deadline.

Mistake 6

• Not allocating responsibility for each goal.

Duncan Brodie of Goals and Achievements helps accountants and health professionals to achieve success and realize their professional potential through being highly effective leaders and managers. For more information and to sign up for his free audio e-course click here

As a manager, you will more than likely be required to set objectives those that you manage.

So how do you go about doing this?

Think about what results are to be achieved

There are probably some results that your team has to achieve. Chances are the results will be dependent on all of your team delivering their specific contributions so make a point of linking personal objectives to team results.

Specify outcomes, not actions

Start writing objectives in terms of outcomes or deliverables. A one day reduction in the monthly reporting cycle is an example of a clear outcomes based measure. Reviewing the month end process is an action.

Ask yourself, can I measure this?

If you cannot come up with a way of determining whether the individual is on or off track in achieving the objective, chances are it is not sufficiently clear.

Get the other person to tell you what they think they are being asked to deliver

Seems blindingly obvious but I wonder how many managers use this strategy? Simply asking the person to play back their understanding of what you are expecting can eliminate confusion.

The Bottom Line

Truth is, setting clear objectives can appear simple in theory but is often a real challenge in practice.

For the exhaustive reference on working with, leading and managing teams, check out the special pre-release on my latest book. If you are serious about your team, don’t miss this special Click here for more details

Today’s letter is G.

G in terms of leadership success is about:

• Goal setting
• Giving effective feedback
• Gaining the support of others
• Gauging the impact of key decisions
• Getting honest feedback

What else would you add to the list?

Duncan Brodie of Goals and Achievements helps accountants and health professionals to achieve success and realize their professional potential through being highly effective leaders and managers. For more information and to sign up for his free audio e-course click here

Setting goals is easy, right?  All you have to do is make sure they are SMART

Specific
Measurable
Achievable
Results orientated
Time limited

While SMART goals are an excellent start point, sometimes they are not just enough.

The key to setting goals is to define the results once the goal is achieved.  What will people inside and outside the organisation:

See
Hear
Feel
Notice
Detect

A simple technique is to get a piece of paper and draw a line down the middle.  Label one side now and the other side future.  Then write down 10 adjectives that describe the organisation now and when the goal is achieved in the future.