By Kemp Gallineau, CEO, Groups360
The first part of the year is when anything is possible. We have almost 12 months to make our business and personal goals come true.
During my career, I’ve spent a lot of time helping people plan and work toward their goals. Here are some thoughts to help as you plan for the year.
Focus on making yourself more valuable
Goals come from two sources.
There are the targets your company sets for you, including sales, revenue, billable hours, and others. These are your foundational goals that you have to achieve as part of your role in the company. These goals are often nonnegotiable.
The second source is your own professional goals that you set to make yourself a better professional. The best personal goals are those that will make you more valuable to your company or organization in the next 18 to 24 months. Look to people in your organization that you admire and aspire to resemble. Ask their advice on skills that would help your career.
These personal goals are the best way to shape the type of professional that you want to be. Making yourself valuable is a big step toward making yourself invaluable.
Get SMART about stretch goals
I’ve written previously that the right kind of stress is a good thing. We need stress to grow professionally and personally. We need to set goals that stretch us. But most people set poor stretch goals. They shoot way too low or way too high.
The S.M.A.R.T. goal formula is a good place to start. You’ve probably seen this formula:
- Specific – Your goal is clear and easily understood.
- Measurable – Your goal is measurable, e.g., increasing sales or losing weight.
- Achievable – Your goal is something you can accomplish.
- Relevant – Your goal will make a difference in your career or your life.
- Time bound – Your goal has a deadline.
The “achievable” part is where I find most people struggle with stretch goals. Some people interpret achievable as something they can do with their current skill set and a little bit of hard work. But is that really stretching?
Others love to fail trying to achieve an impossible goal. They often get far because the goal is so big, but they rarely feel good about it.
You should be able to answer these questions to assess the achievability of your goal:
- What major obstacles stand in the way of my achieving my goals?
- What skills or knowledge do I need to achieve my goals?
- What individuals or groups do I need to work with to achieve my goals?
If your answers are “none,” then your goal is not enough of a stretch. If you struggle to answer these questions, then your goal is likely too big. You’ll be paralyzed by the sheer size of the challenge.
Don’t be afraid to measure yourself
Measurement is the least fun part of goal execution. Nobody wants to see if they are missing the target.
But that approach misses the point of measurement. The most successful people use measurement to celebrate progress and propel them to the next target. They don’t use measurement as a punishment.
When writing your goals for the next year, make sure to include all the milestones you can celebrate, and most importantly, how you’re going to celebrate.
Accountability
Most of us have “give up” and “go up” goals. Make sure to tell everyone about your give up goals, e.g., giving up sweets or caffeine. The personal accountability will help you reach your goals.
For you go up goals, only tell the people you trust the most. They will be there to encourage you when your own courage lags.
Of course, if you need some help with meeting sourcing, Groups360 is here to help you reach your event goals. Make sure to give us a call if you need some help.
