We have gotten so busy in the middle of this on-going global pandemic that we have forgotten that goal setting is a master level skill. First, we assume every one can do it. We also assume that it is easy when in reality it takes time to learn and it takes lots practice to become good at it.
Second, we have forgotten that the goal of goal setting is not to get them completed, although that is an important part of the process. The goal of goal setting is to set goals that people own, understand and are willing to execute. And then, for people to be willing to do it all over again once the goal is completed!
As we help people become better at this master level skill, we need to understand that the word, goal, means so many different things to so many different people. There is rarely consensus on the meaning of this term and often there is no common language around goals and goal setting.
To begin, we as leaders must clarify the following terms: strategy, goal, objective, and project. Nine times out of ten when I get called in as a consultant or as an executive coach to figure out why a team or an individual is not executing their goals well, I find that there is a deep misunderstanding around these four words. If we seek effective teamwork, especially when dealing with adaptive problems, we must remember that common language and understanding gives people the capacity to plan well and the capacity to execute well.
Third, having “SMART goals” is a common phrase used around goals and goal setting. With this in mind, let us all recall that awareness is not understanding. Again, when I get called in to solve why change is not working, it always comes down to the SMART goal not being too-smart. In simple terms, these so called SMART goals often tend to be binary in nature as in done vs. not done. They are not designed to generate a series of short term wins.
Referencing the work of John Kotter in his seminal research from the book, Leading Change (Harvard Business School Press, 1996), short-term wins create credibility for long term efforts. As he wrote, “A good short-term win has at least three characteristics:
1. It’s visible; large numbers of people can see for themselves whether the result is real or just hype.
2. It’s unambiguous; there can be little argument over the call.
3. It’s clearly related to the change effort.”
Furthermore, Kotter expanded on the importance of short term wins in his book, The Heart of Change: Real-Life Stories of How People Change Their Organizations (Harvard Business School Press, 2002). Here, he encourages leaders to “produce sufficient short term wins, sufficiently fast, to energize the change helpers, enlighten the pessimists, defuse the cynics, and build momentum for the effort.” He explains that short term wins “penetrate emotional defenses [held by those who do not want to change] by being unambiguous.” They also “speak to powerful players whose support you need and do not have yet.”
When I have seen the development and implementation of SMART goals that are built around a series of short term wins over time, I know two things. First, that the team will be successful. And, second, I am seeing someone move to the master level of goal setting.
This week, set goals that include short term wins and seek mastery in your goal setting. It is worth the time and energy to do it right.
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