I read the "Goals" conversation from yesterday and really felt like I failed to give you a...
SO WHAT???
So, lets get to the what.
How does "Harmony" apply to goal setting?
Goal setting can create alot of disharmony;
I wish we were there already.
I wish we had better goals.
I wish we could measure this.
etc.
GOALS are NOT as IMPORTANT as TRENDS!!!
Goals are the spot in the distance that we are shooting for, but it defines DIRECTION AND MEASUREMENT.
In the spirit of harmony, FOCUS ON DIRECTION.
We want GROWTH! IF we are achieving deliberate growth in the areas that we want behind a coordinated strategy that we can build on... does it matter if we grow 7% or 10% or 20%?
Sure, it materially affects our resources needed and how much money we can spend, so we have to have an "expected pace", but the VALUE of the GOAL is the DIRECTION. In this case GROWTH.
In my example yesterday, regarding employees retention, does it matter if we achieve 94 or 95 or 97%, sure it does, but how much can we really control it? The DIRECTION we want is LESS ATTRITION of great resources... let's just do all that we can to keep getting better.
So often, I see people set goals for revenue growth, profitability or weight loss (yours truly included) and the goal is to grow by 5 million or lose 10 pounds or whatever... BUT WHAT IS THE TREND? If we are on a trend of growth then its about accelerating the trend or just keeping it going, if you are already losing weight, 10 pounds is just a set amount of time away... TIME IS LESS IMPORTANT THAN DIRECTION...
If you lose 10 pounds in 4 weeks instead of 8 weeks or 12 weeks does it really matter? Maybe if we are approaching speedo season, but generally NO!
SO the SO WHAT from the conversation of GOALS is this...
DON'T OVER THINK IT!
Goals are IMPORTANT, but they are LESS IMPORTANT than TRENDS. Agree that you want to be ON A TREND of heading in the RIGHT DIRECTION and then goals just "predict a pace".
IF YOU are trying to set a goal and don't know what it should be.. LEAVE A BLANK FOR NOW... and think about it, talk to people, and fill it in when you have something that makes sense. KEEP AT IT - but dont force something in.
IF YOU SET A GOAL and its really hard to measure - dont do it, because you wont keep it going over time, and if you do, you'll be spending your investment measuring and not DOING.
REALIZE that the VALUE in SETTING GOALS is not in the GOAL, but in the CONVERSATION AND PLANNING about HOW DO WE REALISTICALLY GET THERE? And aligning people behind that direction.
GOALS are important.., they are! But, if they become the source of disharmony or distraction BACK OFF!
COMMIT YOURSELF to a general direction... and watch the trends.
A Trailing Twelve Month Average and Trailing Six Month Average is a much better thing to be paying attention to, rather than the "Goal for the Year"...
It's good to have goals.
I want to build a company from scratch one day.
I want to write a book someday.
I want to own a place by the water some day.
I want to live healthy.
I want to do and achieve LOTS of THINGS.
Those are goals and wants, and I have no idea how to measure them...
I look out for my trend...
The BEST thing about having goals is checking in on them and HONESTLY assessing, am I getting closer (SEE TREND), and then MODIFYING BEHAVIORS and TAKING ACTION differently because you have stated them explicitly.
Maybe they are S.M.A.R.T...
Maybe they are D.U.M.B.
They are important, but they are not the end all that books and articles make them out to be.
They are a piece of your puzzle...
Always set a "direction". BUT
Don't get lost in the measures.
Don't lose sight of the trends.
Don't forget about the moment.
And, don't forget that the only way to reach ANY goal, is to be in motion and only then you can check in to make sure you are moving in the right direction.
If you are looking for the ABSOLUTE TRUTH... you'll know if you are on the right track.
Yours trending toward harmony ;-)
Nestor