Achieve More Through Goal Setting

by Dr. Ed Slover

Mark Twain once wrote that “Without dreams and goals there is no living, only merely existing, at that is not why we are here.” If there is nothing to aspire to, nothing to strive for, we find ourselves living a life of mundanity and complacency. This is not to suggest that finding comfort and attaining mastery is inherently negative or fundamentally flawed; rather, it is to suggest that we can always achieve more, always ascend to new heights.

Given the increasingly competitive nature of business and industry in the 21^st century, organizational leaders must “crack the code” with respect to effective goal setting, especially in the fast-paced retail grocery industry. Gone are the days where a leader can communicate to his/her follower to “do your best” or “just to better.” Each sentiment is too subjective to be called a “goal,” as each lacks purpose and makes the idea of achieving something nothing more than a whim. To successfully attain a goal, business leaders must first clearly define what “good looks like” and then inspire employees to pursue it relentlessly. What follows are two models business leaders can use to enhance the goal setting process in the attempt to maximize goal attainment.

S.M.A.R.T. Goals

One of the gold standards of goal setting is the use of S.M.A.R.T. goals. This acronym stands for Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Time Bound. It is used to help the leader create objective goals that are not subject to whim. In doing so, the employee understands definitively what is expected and how his/her performance will be evaluated. As a leader, here are some questions you can ask yourself to determine whether you are using this model properly.

• Specific – Is the goal clearly defined and unambiguous?
• Measurable – Can we quantify whether the goal was achieved?
• Attainable – Is the goal challenging but realistic?
• Relevant – Does the work performed relate directly to the goal that is set?
• Time Bound – What is an appropriate timeframe to assess progress or goal attainment?

Fundamentally, people prefer certainty to uncertainty. By setting specific goals, employees clearly understand what the expectation is. This provides them a target upon which to aim. Further, goals must be measured to assess “from-to” progress in addition to providing clarity as to whether the goal was achieved or not. This also affords leaders the opportunity to determine what worked, what didn’t, and why. As for attainability, goals should always have a “stretch” component. The caveat to this is that if employees perceive the goal to be unrealistic they will not be motivated to achieve it. The converse holds too, as if a goal is too easily attained employees will not be motivated to go above and beyond. Correspondingly, the work employees perform must be relevant to the goals being set. If the work and the goal is unrelated, employee’s motivation will (likely) wane. Finally, a “finish line” needs to be established, as this helps employees create a sense of urgency knowing their performance will be assessed at a specified deadline.

Ultimately, success with the S.M.A.R.T. goal setting process requires continued, on-going refinement. It should never be perceived as a static process or be performed in a vacuum. S.M.A.R.T. goal setting is a dynamic, multi-faceted process whereby each individual employee’s achievement “rolls up” into team/department success that, subsequently, “rolls up” into organizational success.

Management by Objectives (MBO)

A second goal setting approach that can be used in conjunction with S.M.A.R.T. goal setting or can be used in isolation is Management by Objectives (MBO). One of the unique characteristics of MBO is the involvement of the employee in a joint goal setting process. This is not to suggest that employees cannot or should not be involved in S.M.A.R.T. goal setting, but employee participation serves as a foundational component of MBO. The rationale for this relates to the need for employees to have more “skin in the game,” which is to suggest that the more involved employees are in the process the more likely they will buy-in and demonstrate increased commitment toward achieving the defined goals.

In practice, MBO requires the leader and employee to meet to, first, discuss the needs of the business and how the employee’s individual performance contributes to the achievement of organizational objectives. From there, the leader and employee engage in a dialogue about what the leader believes the employee can achieve and what the employee believes s/he can achieve. (Note: This is a dynamic, two-way conversation and not a monologue where the leader determines or assigns the goal.) Once the leader and employee agree on the defined goal, which should also have a “stretch” component to it, follow up meetings are scheduled to determine progress toward the goal. In those meetings, the leader and employee take stock of what is working and review the plan to continue the progress and/or take stock of what is not working, determine the reasons why, and outline the most appropriate steps to course correct. Thus, MBO is an iterative process with multiple checkpoints that allow both the leader and employee to provide feedback and insights into how the goal can be achieved.

As you implement MBO as a joint goal setting process, ask yourself:

• Is my employee actively participating in the goal setting conversation?
• Am I transferring ownership of achieving the goal to my employee?
• Am I providing developmental feedback along the way to ensure my employee’s success?
• Am I celebrating progress or providing encouragement toward the achievement of the goal?
• Am I applying the feedback my employee gives me to future joint goal setting meetings?

In conclusion, there is little doubt that execution will determine the success or failure of any initiative undertaken in business. The goal setting process serves as a credible example of an initiative that, when done well, can lead to tremendous individual, team, and organizational success. It requires patience, consistency, and, above all, a desire of everyone involved to achieve something bigger than themselves. As Hall of Fame football coach, Don Shula, once noted, “Strive for perfection but settle for excellence.” That certainly is something to which we can all aspire.