As we come to the end of January, most people usually fall into two camps. Those that are feeling great because they have stuck to their new year’s resolutions, or those (who shall not be named) who have already forgotten what their resolutions were. 🙂
The great thing about development is that it’s an ongoing process. You can start anytime and with the right focus and motivation, you can always make progress towards your goals. Whether you want to work on your communication skills, or to finally get your time management under control, the fact that you are thinking about it means you’re one step closer to achieving those goals.
Need some inspiration? We’ll be sharing a series of brief roundups on various aspects of leadership. We’ll overview different leadership skills and why they are important, as well as practical tips and examples.
First up, Goal Setting and Prioritization.
Why does Goal Setting & Prioritization matter?
- Goal setting and prioritization go hand in hand. Without clear goals, it becomes impossible to prioritize time and tasks.
- Goals create a vision for yourself and your organization.
- Goals also generate motivation because there is a clear direction that everyone is rowing towards. The long term vision also fuels short term motivation.
- The act of having to set a goal generates important thinking and discussion, helping you and your team think more intentionally about what you want to achieve and why.
- Goals create accountability – by making them visible and revisiting them often you’ll see how you are progressing towards them.
Here are a few articles on how to think through creating and setting goals:
- If you’re the type that wants to ensure that you’re using the best possible method of creating and setting goals, this article highlights 5 different approaches to setting goals.
- Setting S.M.A.R.T goals: Simple, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant & Time Bound.
- Or.. maybe goal setting isn’t all it’s cracked up to be: When Goal Setting Goes Bad
Also remember that setting goals for a team is different than setting goals for yourself. If you’re a manager looking to set goals for your team, really think about the behavior you want to drive on the team.
Here are some practical ways to follow through on the goals you set:
- Write them down!
- Create team goals together – helps create buy-in and a clear shared vision
- Do a team brainstorm
- If your corporate goals are set, share them and ask your team to come up with their own ideas for reaching them
- Leverage different tools to create, share and track your goals
- And of course, some tips for how to get back on track. The article is focused on personal goals but the tips work in a professional setting as well. Rule #1 is just to schedule things into your calendar that you need to make a priority!
Finally, there’s no fun in setting goals if you don’t celebrate when you achieve them! So don’t forget to spend some time doing that once you’ve crushed your goals!
