At Spreetail, goals take a different shape than just “increase efficiency” and “win more business”. We encourage our people to set big, challenging goals in work and in life. Setting the best possible goals is a science, but it’s not rocket science when you have some support from the experts. Spreetail’s Talent Development team offers Goal-Setting workshops to help our teams refine and polish their personal and professional goals.
Whether you’re looking to set your goals for the year or take a more thorough approach to setting performance goals at work, these tips from our Goal-Setting workshop can help guide you through the process.
Write them down – Studies show that people are 42% more likely to achieve their goals when they take time to commit them to writing. With those margins, it’s not worth the risk of keeping your goals in your head. The writing process will encourage meaningful reflection and allow you to assess your personal priorities. Find a journal, planner, or document on your computer and get started.
Be SMART– It’s hard to talk goals without talking about the SMART goal methodology. There is real value in walking through the acronym and developing your goal to be specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, and time-bound. Ensuring your goal is SMART will transform it from a good idea to a real, actionable goal with a plan.
Think smaller – Tackling a 1-year or 3-year goal is no small feat. In fact, shorter-term goals are easier to achieve and can help us gain more ground, more quickly toward the big picture goals. By setting goals on a 6-month, 3-month, or even 1-month basis, you can reevaluate them more frequently and maintain closer alignment with changing priorities in business and life.
Know your “why” – In order to truly understand the importance of a specific goal, it’s helpful to visualize what’s at stake if you don’t achieve it. How will you feel in 6 months when your goals are left unachieved? How will this affect your team’s overall success? Thinking through the “why” of your goals and vision for your future will help increase your personal buy-in.
Don’t go it alone – Finding a mentor or coworker to share your goals with can help take your accountability to the next level. Chat with your family and friends about your goals, or even share on social media. The increased visibility and knowledge of your plans can help you maintain steady progress when you are tempted to fall off track.
Be ready to fail – Anticipating what hurdles you might face can be just as valuable as visualizing your successful completion. Develop an if/then contingency plan to help plan ahead for bumps in the road. Knowing your potential setbacks in the process can help you be more prepared and maintain motivation when things don’t go as planned.
Don’t skip the celebration – Take time to appreciate your progress and reward yourself for your milestone wins, no matter how small they might seem. The more you are able to associate your progress with positivity and affirmation, the more likely that your new habits and goals will stick. Remember, a near win on your large-scale goal is still a win and a step in the direction of progress.
The process of reflection, goal-setting, and making progress towards your future vision might be time consuming, but all of your hard work and preparation will pay off when you reach what you set out to achieve. Set yourself up for success this year with tips from Spreetail’s Talent Development team and remember to support others with their goals along the way!
Talent Development Partner
