Ask Andi: I struggle when setting goals and prioritizing short and long-term. When one gets our attention we get it back on track. But it’s at the expense of the other one. I fear employees will get discouraged if they think things aren’t getting done. At times it feels like we’re all over the place. Are we being realistic about what we’re trying to accomplish?
Thoughts of the Day: When setting goals, start by making a list. This will help to stay on point while looking toward the business’ future. Work on the plan. Draw on past successes when things get tough. Build a culture of planning, execution, follow-through, and delivery. Be a role model for employees around you.
When setting goals, sweat the details
Bring employees and managers together. Get everyone on the same page by involving them in a companywide planning process. Teach everyone about the value of building and working on a plan. Set both short- and long-term goals. Check that short-term leads to long-term. Turn goals into actions by planning out details.
Ask people to build individual and department plans consistent with the company’s overall goals. Relate goals to personal needs and objectives. For example, if the goal is to build sales, ask individuals to brainstorm how increased sales will make their lives better. What is it that they want if the company’s revenue and profits go up?
Differences of opinion will inevitably arise about which goals to pursue and how to achieve those goals. Embrace differences rather than avoid them. Include voices in the company that normally aren’t heard. The quiet ones may have key points to make that can help to ensure a plan’s success.
Breaking down the goal
Set and actually meet goals. Be realistic. Build ways to measure how things are going. Use the results of actions taken, positive or negative, to boost motivation. Avoid getting mired in a moment of failure by focusing on where to go next while simultaneously dealing with immediate roadblocks.
Willingly face challenges. For example, more sales might mean more work developing and delivering products or services. Stress points might blow up. Ask people to brainstorm what could go wrong. Face obstacles by planning out how to avoid or deal with them. That kind of exercise will help everyone be more prepared and confident when problems inevitably do crop up.
When things do go wrong, put energy towards figuring out solutions. Avoid tearing the company apart trying to figure out who did what wrong. Of course, it’s important to break down problems in order to understand them and not repeat mistakes. But when the focus is on moving forward to a better place, it’s more likely that the team will use breakdowns as opportunities to learn and grow.
Schedule, plan, and balance
Teach your people about the value of working together, that there is strength in numbers. When one person gets tired or frustrated, another can pick up the slack. A team can accomplish geometrically more than any one person. Use that team concept to keep up the momentum.
Show employees that you are concerned about their welfare. Express caring by focusing on individual development and security. Use the company as a vehicle to help people achieve their individual dreams.
Remember that people are always watching what you do as much as, or more than, what you say. If you want people to be enthusiastically engaged, you’ll have to wear that enthusiasm like a mantle as you face the difficult times in the business. That said, it is also important that you let people see the vulnerabilities – your concerns that the plan may not work – so that they can assist with building the solutions. Inspire others by acknowledging the truth of where things stand and then focusing everyone’s energy on going forward to achieve the possibilities of where you, and they, want to be.
Looking for a good book? “Appreciative Leadership: Focus on What Works to Drive Winning Performance and Build a Thriving Organization” by Diana Whitney, Amanda Trosten-Bloom and Kae Rader.
