Setting Goals

I remember the first time I set goals for my team, I really thought I smashed it. I went into coaching mode and got them to draft their objectives, reminding them to remember about the business goals. We got them set up and things went well.

That was until performance round came around where rating them against not the criteria but the impact they had (ie delivery of their objectives) come up. And let’s say this was harder and than I thought. Then it hit me the goals set were not impactful and probably should not have been those objectives.

What I should have done was model something that gave clear outcomes over ambiguous goals. Lesson learnt and it taught me that setting goals not impacts the teams and individuals outcomes but also how important it is to ensure that the goals have some achievable or measurable.

So let’s take a look at how best to set goals for the team.

How to set goals

Setting goals can be something really daunting and can be somewhat confusing. With so many different models and things to consider (OKRs, GOM’s etc) no wonder many people put off doing objective setting.

To make it simpler I often use the SMART model. This stands for:

• Specific

• Measureable

• Achievable

• Relevant

• Time bound

SMART goals is one of the best frameworks to use when setting goals. I personally think this because you get great goals but more importantly really great metrics. This enables you to really ensure you are tracking in the right way. They are also easy for the team to understand and can be applied to the way company tracks its overall goals.

When setting SMART goals make sure you avoid some common mistakes:

• Setting Vague Goals: Ensure goals are detailed enough to avoid ambiguity.

• Unrealistic Deadlines: Be mindful of over-committing. Goals should stretch you but remain attainable.

• Not Measuring Progress: Without measurable outcomes, it’s hard to determine success. Use metrics from the start.

Tips for setting goals

1. Involve Your Team

Tip: Collaborate with your team when setting SMART goals to ensure alignment with both individual and team objectives. This promotes buy-in and motivation to achieve the goals.

2. Be Specific (S)

Tip: Define what you want to achieve in clear, concrete terms. For example, instead of setting a goal to “improve sales,” set a goal to “increase sales by 15% within the next quarter.”

3. Make it Measurable (M)

Tip: Ensure that progress can be tracked. Attach metrics to your goals like numbers, percentages, or deadlines to make them measurable.

4. Keep it Achievable (A)

Tip: Goals should be realistic given the time frame and available resources. Ensure the goals stretch your team but are within reach.

5. Ensure Relevance (R)

Tip: Make sure the goals align with broader company objectives and your team’s responsibilities. If the goals aren’t relevant, they will not contribute meaningfully to business success.

6. Set Deadlines (T)

Tip: Assign a specific deadline to each goal. For instance, “increase customer satisfaction ratings by 10% in the next six months.”

7. Break Large Goals into Smaller Steps

Tip: For long-term goals, break them into smaller, short-term milestones to track progress more easily and maintain momentum.

8. Regularly Review and Adjust

Tip: Schedule regular check-ins with your team to review progress. If needed, adjust the goals to reflect any changes in priorities or challenges.

9. Provide Support and Resources

Tip: Ensure your team has the tools, training, and resources they need to meet their goals. A goal is much more achievable when employees have the support they need.

10. Celebrate Milestones

Tip: Recognise and celebrate small wins along the way. This keeps the team motivated and reinforces positive behaviour.

By following the above structure this will help you really set great goals for your team and can also be applied for you. The one big thing I often see with goal setting is the follow up accountability is often ignored. Make sure that in regular catch ups you follow up against the goals.

Book Recommendation

This weeks book recommendation is a great one on goals, comes from the grandfather of measuring what matters.

Measure what matters: How Google, Bono, and the Gates Foundation Rock the World with OKRs by John Doerr

That’s all for this week. Hope you enjoyed and are able to take something away from this. Let me know if you do!

PS My free 90 day manager training course is almost been updated, get the initial parts here and access to all future updates to this course for FREE.