Goal Setting: Best Practices for Gaining and Maintaining Momentum

The first month after the holidays typically includes defining and sharpening your yearly goals.  As corporate objectives are cascaded, it is important that each leader aligns their team’s individual goals with these broader strategic priorities.  A few key benefits of engaging in a goal setting process include:

• Ensuring alignment with broader company strategic direction and objectives
• Driving accountability down throughout the organization
• Positioning goal setting as a pre-requisite to effective execution
• Motivating individuals and teams to achieve higher levels of excellence
• Identifying and defining specific metrics to measure performance

Here are a few best practices to leverage when working with your team on 2019 goals and objectives:

1. Reflect upon last year’s goals to determine if desired results were achieved:
   • Evaluate the current business environment and potential trends before establishing goals and determine the optimal strategy to achieve them
   • Explore obstacles encountered last year and identify proactive steps to improve goal achievement
   • Discuss with your team how planning efforts supported goal achievement in the past and how plans needs to be developed, monitored, and revised going forward
2. Take time now to clarify, review, and communicate the goal setting process:
   • Clarify expectations and guiding principles related to individual goal setting
   • Define SMART Goals – Specific, Measurable, Aligned and Actionable, Realistic, and Time bound
   • Communicate timing and review processes — how goals will be monitored and recalibrated
3. Involve the team throughout the goal setting process:
   • Help translate broader team goals into individual performance goals
   • Ensure team members have an opportunity to contribute to team goal development
   • Build consensus on priorities and the rationale for their selection
   • Establish and share action plans
   • Seek buy-in and commitment to established metrics
4. Maintain the same level of commitment throughout the year by establishing sub-goals and calendaring check-in times to chart progress:
   • Set up regular check-in times with the team and individuals to confirm they are on track to complete goals
   • Based on changes to the internal and/or external environment, always remain flexible to modify goals and tactics as necessary
   • Celebrate successes

By leveraging these best practices, you can greatly improve how you establish and align your team on 2019 goals.

Please feel free to contact us for more information on goal setting and achieving business objectives.