How to Build Strong Goals

A couple of weeks ago we discussed managing with the correct balance of direction and freedom, and that to achieve this balance, a business needs a strong value statement and strong goals.

If your people know where you are headed, they can use their own strengths and ideas to get you there. Having already shared the core values, you know they will work within the accepted standards.

What are goals

Effective goals follow on your values. We talked about your company vision, where you will be in the future, and your company mission, what you want to do.

Your goals must reflect both of these points: using what you are, what you do and how you do it, in order to arrive where you want to arrive. And, most importantly, the goals must be something you look forward to achieving. Yes: make it personal.

Note that I am using the word “goals”: plural. If I have one vision, how is that different than the goals? Read on.

The one question

Ask yourself this one, essential question for your business:

What does success look like?

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Take your vision and describe it. Paint a picture, tell a story, whichever analogy works best for you. Describe that situation where success has been achieved.

Now imagine somebody sitting across from you asking you what that means in all parts of your business.

  • What does success look like in sales?
  • What does success look like in your client make up?
  • What does success look like financially?
  • What does success look like in your product development?
  • What does success look like in your employees?
  • What does success look like for your own time and workload?

That is how many goals you need. This will ensure you are pursuing all aspects of success and – importantly – that you are not building goals that will harm other parts of your business.

 

Have you written out your goals yet? For a guided session to create your priorities and outcome statements, contact me to book a workshop for your management team.