Every organization and every employee has goals, these could be profit plan goals, sales goals, employee development goals, anything that is meaningful for your business, your career or your life! But, the difference between success or failure often depends on whether they have been effectively communicated to everybody in your entire organization along with a compelling vision for the future. Consider the following:
This week we celebrate the life and accomplishments of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. We are all familiar with his I have a dream speech, but have you ever really thought about what it took to accomplish his dream? Somewhere it all started with a goal – a goal for equality in this country. Once the goal was determined, he had to step up and be a visionary leader for those that would follow. He not only had to have a dream, he had to have a plan to achieve that dream – quantifiable goals and milestones to work his way to his dream.
So, what is a goal? A goal is an end toward which effort is directed
To be most successful, goals should be SMART. In other words, they should be:
S pecific – clearly stating what is to be achieved.
M easurable – can be quantitatively determined or observed
A ttainable – within reach given the role and responsibility
R elevant – indicating what action is to be taken to attain the specific results desired
T ime-based – including a deadline for satisfactory completion
You may ask yourself – why should I set and manage goals? Well, the most compelling reasons include:
- It provides you and your team with a common direction
- It provides a mechanism to effectively communicate corporate goals and strategic objectives to each employee throughout the entire organization.
- It ensures that individual employee goals and objectives are aligned with the vision and strategic goals of the organization.
- Every employee will understand how his or her efforts contribute to the success of the organization.
Just as Martin Luther King, Jr. had a dream, so does every organization and every employee within that organization. By aligning those dreams through goals and a motivating vision, you unleash the power of your entire team to achieve what each individual couldn’t possibly achieve alone.
