By Joni Lindquist
Setting goals is often the first step in making progress toward success. Actually accomplishing those goals is even more important. Here are 5 tips which help you as we kick off 2016:
- Simplify– sounds easy, never is. We often have too many goals and try to do too much. Identify three to four of your most impactful goals and spend your time and resources on them. If you have more than four goals that are necessary to hit your target, try to phase the goals – so focus on the first few; accomplish them or at least make significant headway; then introduce new goals. Having more than four objectives may signal to your work team that everything is important and when, let’s be honest, that is not the truth.
After you simplify your goals, break them down into manageable and measurable parts or phases. That way, they won’t be too daunting for you or your team.
- Commit – achieving goals requires commitment. Help commit yourself by figuring out the emotional win – the “why” for objectives. What is this leading to? Find that emotional tie. Ask yourself what your purpose is in establishing this goal. Remind yourself of this emotional tie so that when you encounter obstacles occur, you can ground yourself with the “why” and build your resiliency.
- Enroll Others – Once you are committed to your cause, engage others. Figure out what’s in it for your team. If you have goals related to issues like client service or sales, tie this to company growth. For example, a healthy, growing company provides ongoing opportunities for your team’s career growth. If you know your colleagues well, you will likely be able to pinpoint what motivates each individual. Get them excited and, if possible, figure out each individual’s personal “why.”
- Take Action – consistently. Do something – get your team in gear. By breaking goals down (tip #1), this should help you identify action steps. Be specific and assign these steps. Sometimes we can get overwhelmed, become paralyzed, and we’re not sure what to do next. Most experts will tell you to take action, don’t just keep thinking about it. Taking action may help you figure out what is and is not working.
- Assign Accountability – hold yourself accountable and establish an accountability buddy. Often, an executive coach can assist in holding your accountable while also providing suggestions to tackle the obstacles and challenges that will no doubt occur. Part of accountability is measurement. As you measure progress, consider if your goal needs to be modified. Don’t get stuck pursing goals that no longer make sense if the situations has changed.
Follow these five tips to increase the likelihood of achieving your key goals in 2016! For help narrowing down your list, schedule a meeting by clicking below, contact Joni Lindquist –jlindquist@makinglifecount.com, or call (913) 345-1881.
Photo credit: ibm4381 / Foter.com / CC BY