Far too many people, whether in business or their personal lives, set unreachable goals, only to wonder why they never achieve them. As an entrepreneur with a growing business, you are a team leader as well and it falls to you to set reachable goals for your business and your team members. Goal setting for success requires that all targets must be realistic, specific, and reachable or they are a waste of time and energy for you and your team.
Goals that are ill-defined or patently ridiculous do no one any good, least of all you; as poor goal setting will reflect badly on you as a leader. You will be perceived as either unrealistic or ill-equipped for the job. Both of these impressions undercut your authority and make you a poor leader.
Here are a few things to consider about the goals you’ve set for your team – or for yourself:
- The goals you set must be specific
- The goals you set must be attainable
- The goals you set must be tailored to your team
- The goals you set must benefit your business – and your team
A broad-based concept such as “To sign more clients,” is not a proper goal for a professional business environment. It is far too nebulous, and requires little commitment from your team members. A more specific goal, such as “I will close 50% of all of my clients this year,” is far more productive. It is clear and concise – and it is also measurable. A goal which cannot be measured can rarely, if ever, be met.
Well-defined goals get met, vague goals do not
Better yet is a set of incremental goals for your team to aim at; such as, “I will close 50% of all of my clients this quarter, and 55% next quarter, and 60% the next quarter …,” and so on. This will keep every member of your team focused on constant improvement and, once again, it is measurable.
It goes without saying that the numbers must be realistic – or it should – but specific goals such as these are much more valuable than some vague notion of “getting better.” If you truly want your team and your business to “Get Better,” help them set goals they can actually achieve – with goal setting for success as your goal for the next year, and beyond.
Looking for more online marketing tips and ideas? Get in touch with the YOMT Team today.