People often avoid specifying goals for their life, work, or business because that means specifying the conditions of failure. Instead, they set vague, foggy, cliches and targets to avoid looking like a failure. This is simply a formula for chaos. Being vague is a form of evading accountability to yourself. It destroys the potential you have to have the life you want. To bring order into the chaos, we need to begin to order our life by making realistic and attainable commitments.
SMART goals was a business buzz concept several years ago. Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant and Timely was just too much hard work for many people when setting goals. So, SMART goals turned into lingo bantered around that faded like a New Year’s resolution. I think five steps is too complex for most people to keep track of. Three steps works much better and is more manageable.
Leadership Starts With Leading Yourself Before You Can Lead Others
Through the years, my quest for reaching the peak of my potential as a leader has involved a lifelong commitment to study, research, and setting rigorous goals for my personal and professional development. Here is a truth I have learned in dealing with my self. The hard work of leadership starts with me. Before I can lead others, I have to lead Kevin Baker. If I am to grow and achieve the vision and mission I have for my life, I must clearly define what I am aiming to achieve if I am ever to accomplish it. Having tried so many goal-setting techniques over 25 years of leadership and management experience, Covey’s “Four Disciplines of Execution” (4Dx) and the similar “Objectives and Key Results” (OKR) approach work best for me to get the results I want.
In both systems, you begin by setting the goal that is the most important for you. An objective that if you do not address it, nothing else really matters. What is it in your life, or in your job right now that is wildly important to the degree that if you do not do this, nothing else matters? It could be improving your health, a relationship, your quality of life, producing cash flow or go out of business, etc. Once you identify this, state it with a simple verb. Then, set a starting line, finish line, and deadline. 4Dx calls this formula “X to Y by When.” What is the measure of where you are starting–X. What measurement is where you want to be when you goal is achieved–Y. Now set the date you must complete this goal–by when. If you do not make these specific, you will fall into the kind of vague gibberish of goals people are not really committed to.
Example: To improve my quality of life by reducing the time I spend in traffic commuting
Starting Line–X: from 21 hours per week
Finish Line–Y: to 10 hours per week
Deadline–When: by 1 February 2020 (one year)
What Will Stop Me From Achieving My Goal? The Lead Measure.
Next, ask, “What will stop me from achieving my goal?” What barriers, constraints, bottlenecks, and roadblocks could cause you to quit on yourself? Be honest. In my case, it might be not having the down payment I need to buy a house in Sydney. Modest single family residence housing here costs $1 million plus to buy, and requires, 10% down. In that case, what will LEAD to me achieving my goal is saving the money I need. In order to achieve that result, I need to measure it weekly, and each week focus on initiatives to achieve my goal. I need a budget, a savings plan, and specific commitments to reduce expenses and increase savings week by week. By breaking down the one year goal into manageable weekly commitments, it is more attainable. As I measure those activities that will LEAD to achieving the goal I am aiming for in 12 months (Lag measure), I can predict and influence every week whether I am on track to meet my goal or not.
How about you? What is your wildly important goal? Are you willing to define it as Simple Verb + X to Y by When? Try it. Write me and let me know if you get stuck.
Let’s make some progress in life by having simple goals achieved by a simple process that will give you the traction to start really getting the results you want.