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Set SMARTer Goals

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Set SMARTer Goals

Many goals fail because they aren’t clear, don’t seem important or aren’t likely to happen when you need them to. The solution is to use SMART criteria to make goal setting, well, smarter.

SMART goals use a mnemonic acronym to guide the setting of objectives:

  • S = Specific
  • M = Measurable
  • A = Achievable
  • R = Relevant
  • T = Time-Bound

The first use of SMART criteria to describe goal-setting occured in the November 1981 issue of Management Review in George Doran’s article, “There’s a SMART Way to Write Management’s Goals and Objectives.”

Doran wrote that objectives should be:

  • Specific – They should target a specific area for improvement. Exactly what do you want to accomplish? Who, what, when and where?
  • Measurable – They should quantify or suggest an indicator of progress. How will you track your progress? How much and how many?
  • Achievable – They should aim for a realistically achievable result. Do you have what you need to achieve your goal? Is your goal too challenging? Is it too easy?
  • Relevant – They should be goals that matter. Does your goal matter to your supervisor, team and organization? Is your goal aligned with organizational vision and values?
  • Time-Bound – They should specify when the result can be achieved. When will you achieve your goal? What is your time limit?

How do your 2016 goals stack up against the SMART standard?

Make your goals specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and time-bound. It’s a fact: SMART goals make goal setting smarter.

And that’s the Big Idea.

Resources


Source

“SMART Criteria,” Accessed August 20, 2015, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SMART_criteria.

Use Medium-Term Goals to Stay on Target

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Use Medium-Term Goals to Stay on Target

Medium- term goals are a natural extension of weekly goals, details and to-do lists. They are the incremental checkpoints that have to be reached on the way to annual goals and objectives.

Let’s define the duration of goals this way:

  • Short-Term – 30 days or less
  • Medium-Term – 2 to 11 months
  • Long-Term – 12 months or more

We often associate goal-setting with annual goals—the type of goals typically set as a part of performance review processes. But while annual goals are important, they aren’t very effective as standalone objectives. In fact, recent evidence confirms that goal-setting should happen more frequently than once a year:

The traditional once-a-year setting of employee goals and performance review is totally out of date,” says Kris Duggan [co-founder of Silicon Valley startup firm BetterWorks]. “To really improve performance, goals need to be set more frequently, be more transparent to the rest of the company, and progress towards them measured more often.

Consider 3 ways that medium-term goals help you stay on target:

  1. Medium-term goals bridge short-term and long-term goals. While short-term goals form your daily and weekly nuts-and-bolts task list, you need bridge goals to steer you toward your long-term objectives. Medium-term goals fit the bill, providing a progress report at set times throughout the year.
  2. Medium-term goals are a natural time to make adjustments. If there’s a problem with your “big picture” plan, you’re more likely to discover it as you set and evaluate medium-term goals. Intermediate goals help you adapt to changing conditions and, if necessary, adjust the long-term objective.
  3. Medium-term goals focus on quarterly results. A study of big companies by consulting firm Deloitte found that: “Those which set quarterly goals are nearly four times more likely to be in the top quartile of performers.” It pays to set incremental checkpoints as you strive toward annual goals and objectives.

Quarterly and semi-annual goals can be applied in your personal, professional and organizational worlds. Whatever the area of your life, apply medium-term goals to stay on target:

  • Personally – Family, self-improvement and life development goals
  • Professionally – Career, work and leadership development goals
  • Organizationally – Business or ministry vision, values and OGSM-driven goals

So what’s the Big Idea?

It pays to set medium-term goals, especially quarterly and semi-annual ones. They bridge short-term and long-term goals and provide incremental checkpoints to make adjustments as you strive toward annual goals and objectives.

Resources


Source

“The Quantified Serf” (Schumpeter), The Economist (March 7, 2015), 70.

4 Q&A Evaluation Strategies

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4 Q&A Evaluation Strategies

Evaluation doesn’t have to be one-sided. Consider the give and take of a coaching dialogue to evaluate progress on important organizational goals and objectives.

Evaluation should be personal and relational, so begin any coaching conversation with a demonstration of authentic concern for your team member:

  • Check on family.
  • Discuss personal needs and growth.
  • Pray together.

Then ask thoughtful questions and listen for honest answers with these Q&A evaluation strategies:

1. Gaps and Goals – Identify important, vision-aligned gaps and focus on the next 30 days.

  • What business, customer or ministry GAPS exist? What’s missing and what’s a vision-aligned solution?
  • What 3 GOALS do you have for the next 30 days?
  • What 1 THING is the most important thing right now?

2. Stop, Start or Continue Method – Consider what you should stop, start or continue doing.

  • What do you need to STOP doing? What’s not working?
  • What do you need to START doing? What new ideas should you try? Why do you need to do this?
  • What do you need to CONTINUE doing? What’s working well?

3. Eisenhower Decision Matrix – Realize that what is important is seldom urgent and what is urgent is seldom important.

  • What IMPORTANT/URGENT things should be done immediately and personally?
  • What IMPORTANT/NOT URGENT things should be scheduled?
  • What UNIMPORTANT/URGENT things should be delegated?
  • What UNIMPORTANT/NOT URGENT things should be dropped?

4. SWOT Analysis – Evaluate internal strengths and weaknesses and external opportunities and threats.

  • What are organizational and ministry STRENGTHS?
  • What are organizational and ministry WEAKNESSES?
  • Where are the external OPPORTUNITIES? Where is God working and how can you go there?
  • What are the THREATS to continued growth or ministry?

So what’s the Big Idea?

Ask careful questions to evaluate progress on important organizational goals and objectives. Thoughtful questions with honest answers are the coaching way to achieve the best evaluation outcomes.

Resources

More Questions

  • What are your top 3-5 objectives?
  • How well do department objectives line up with organizational objectives?
  • Why should you do that?
  • How will you do that?
  • How will you measure success?
  • What has to happen to have success with that?
  • What’s your follow-up or follow-on plan?

5 Reasons Why Short-Term Goals Matter

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5 Reasons Why Short-Term Goals Matter

Most people need something to aim for. It’s the reason organizational vision and values are important. It’s also why we develop objectives, goals, strategies and measures (OGSM and other strategy plans).

“Big picture” objectives drive most of the goals we set. That’s a good thing. Each type of goal—short, medium or long-term—has an important place in the process.

Let’s define the duration of goals this way:

  • Short-Term – 30 days or less
  • Medium-Term – 2 to 11 months
  • Long-Term – 12 months or more

Recognize that every long-term objective rises and falls on details, next steps and daily to-do lists. If the small things remain undone, the greater goal simply won’t have traction.

Here’s why you need short-term personal, professional and organizational goals:

  1. Short-term goals create a “next step” culture. It’s helpful to think in terms of next steps. Ask youself: What’s the best thing I can do to move one step closer to a long-term goal? It’s amazing what you can accomplish when you spend intentional time every day on smaller goals, inching ever closer to larger objectives.
  2. Short-term goals provide a psychological boost. Long-term (think annual) goals and objectives may seem unrealistic or difficult. Adjust your thinking with a focus on the day, week or month ahead. Be specific with short-term goals and due dates, but don’t be anxious about the long-term objective. Instead, give your mind a mental boost by focusing on achieving this week’s goals.
  3. Short-term goals prioritize daily tasks. Daily and weekly goals are a great way to sort through the Eisenhower Decision Matrix. Recall that what is important is seldom urgent and what is urgent is seldom important. Short-term goals help you prioritize important/urgent things first, important/not urgent things second, and least important things last. Read more
  4. Short-term goals provide for supervisor-employee feedback. Most of us need objective feedback and accountability to stay on track. Short-term goals provide for that in small, timely and specific ways. Monthly supervisor-employee coaching, mentoring and other feedback built around a discussion of short-term goals helps you know where you’re succeeding and where there’s room for improvement.
  5. Short-term goals create space for adjustments to “big picture” plans. Annual goals and objectives are the “big picture” plans you’re striving for. Breaking down those long-term goals into smaller segments is a good idea. If there’s a problem with your “big picture” plan, you’ll discover it as you implement the plan and aim toward a short-term goal. Short-term goals help you adapt to changing conditions on the fly and adjust the long-term objective.

So what’s the Big Idea?

Establish short-term goals as a first step towards achieving larger personal, professional and organizational goals. Spend intentional time every day on smaller goals, inching ever closer to your long-term objectives.

Resources

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