Leaders often receive less feedback as they move up the ranks. As a result, you may need to take charge of your own growth, skill development, and learning by setting goals.
The SMART method of setting goals that are specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-bound is a great place to start. But leaders face additional challenges to achieving goals like responding to uncertainty and managing teams. Here are tips to not only set goals in these challenging times, but also to achieve them.
Define Your Why
Naming the “why” behind the goals you set creates motivation and a path to move forward. Motivators behind goals could include:
- Learning new skills that prepare you to guide your company to become an industry leader
- Taking a management course to help you lead more effectively
- Investing in growing your network to create new connections for you personally, your company, and allow you to connect your team to others you meet
As the SMART method outlines, goals should be specific and measurable. Choosing a specific goal with a measurable outcome is a step toward success, so customize your goals and personalize the why behind them.
Work Toward Your Goals
In the busy world of work and chaos amidst uncertainty faced by many industries today, it’s easy to let progress toward goals slip. Scheduling time to work on goals alone may not be enough if other priorities take precedence or new responsibilities arise.
If you have a mentor or one-on-one meetings with your boss, consider using the time to share progress on your goals, realign priorities, or reprioritize the steps it will take to reach your goals.
To maintain motivation, it may be wise to outline ways to use what you learn on your way to the final goal along the journey. Break down larger goals like completing a certification into applying individual lessons you learn along the way, or if you want to grow your network, start by attending one industry event a month.
Plan for Roadblocks Before They Happen
Challenges are bound to happen, and it may even feel like the goal post is moving. Failure is part of the journey and these tactics can help you realign if you get off track with your goals:
- Turn a larger goal into a series of micro-goals
- Be realistic—if it isn’t possible to achieve a goal as you have set it, adjust by extending the timeline or scaling back
- Use time management to your advantage—try to make progress toward goals between meetings, at the end of the week, or if there’s slow time in your week
- Ask for help, support, or encouragement from mentors, friends, or even family
Lead by Example
If your company requires employees to set goals, show your team that you’re also working toward goals. Success breeds success. If you elevate your skills and education, you create space for your team to rise too. You can share what you learn with your team, focus on an upcoming area of focus for your company, or industry and delegate to others and ultimately use your goals to propel everyone forward.
Achieving goals takes commitment, time and effort, but the results are worth it.
