Engaging in goal setting and goal execution is an exercise in “disciplined optimism,” notes Oren Harari in his book, The Leadership Secrets of Colin Powell (McGraw-Hill, 2002). As part of this process, we need to remember that in order for someone to be successful in creating and executing a goal, there needs to be two things in place. First, there needs to be an understanding of why this is the goal. Second, there needs to be ownership of the goal. We, as leaders, sometimes forget that achieving a goal requires us to step outside our comfort zone, and in this place, the first thing we often feel is uncomfortable and incompetent which is a loosing combination of feelings. Therefore, clarity about why and ownership of a goal are very important.
Next, in this exercise in disciplined optimism, we need to frame goal setting as a four step process: preparing to set a goal, setting a goal, executing a goal and evaluating a goal. Most leaders set goals and forget about them as they focus on endless operational details. Others, focus on executing them but rarely pause to see if we are doing it well or successfully.
Finally, the best leaders think about what are the primary and secondary impacts that happen when the goal has been completed. They understand that if they want to maintain the optimism that is created before, during and after executing a goal, then all involved need to understand the desired outcomes and the actual outcomes. This sounds simple but it is not easy. It takes time, practice, and thoughtful reflection to do this level of work.
As we turn our sights toward the summer and the fall of 2022, share the above with your team and engage in an exercise of disciplined optimism. There is work to get done and we want the people involved to know why and to own the process and the outcomes.
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