How to Set Goals that get Results

Goals are important. They are at the core of uniting all members of the team around a common purpose. They motivate and inspire. Goals also prompt employees to plan and provide guidance on which projects they should spend time on completing.  Finally, they create the foundation for evaluating each employee’s performance.  But, as necessary as goals are, they are not all created equal.

• Only 20% of people set goals. And 70% of them fail to achieve the goals they set. Here are the reasons why goal setting often fails:
• A lack of motivation to change
• Fear of failure
• Goal setting processes are confusing and too narrow
• Analysis paralysis where your employees overthink everything.

There are five solid principles to effectively setting goals that get results:

• Start with the end in mind.  Then, embrace and feel invested in the result. For example, exceeding sales goals might result in your employee receiving a big bonus check and that shiny new convertible they have been eying. Understand the steps and push a little beyond what is expected and comfortable.
• Make sure that your employees are included in the goal setting.  Unfortunately, less than 40% of employees are very involved in their goal setting. Providing ownership increases buy-in and accountability. Strong leaders don’t push goals on their team. Instead, they work together to craft plans in alignment with company objectives.
• Track goals consistently. You can’t improve what isn’t measured. When goals aren’t tracked, they are worthless.
• Make goals visible throughout the organization.  Nearly 40% of employees say they cannot see the goals being set throughout the organization. This inhibits collaboration and reduces awareness of progress.
• Review and revise goals. Neither business nor goals are static. One key component to set effective goals and improve performance is to look back and ask “what worked, what didn’t” and “what can we learn to improve our performance.”

A goal without a plan is just a wish. Coaching and empowering your employee to set goals starts with a conversation. Consider these steps:

•  Ask your employee what specifically he wants to accomplish. 
• Discuss how Important it is by asking:

o  How important is this goal to you, on a 1 to 10 scale?

o  What makes this goal important to you?

o  On a 1 to 10 scale, how high a priority is this goal for you?

• Measure the end result and what is involved in getting there by evaluating and identifying:

o  When it will be achieved. Ask, “when would you like to accomplish this goal? Please provide me with a date.”

o  Where is your employee currently towards achieving the goal? “Where are you today in your efforts to achieve this goal?”

o  What actions need to be taken. “What specific tasks and activities will you need to complete to achieve your goals.”

• Explore if it is realistic. “With everything else on your plate is it realistic for you to set and pursue this goal now?”

Empowering your employees to go from thinking about it to doing something about it will improve overall performance, keep your employees engaged and they will help to meet your organization’s goals.

Interested in learning more about effective goal setting? Reach out for a 20-minute breakthrough session!