Three Things Most Leaders Get Wrong about Goal Setting

Most of us are in the middle of conducting appraisals, setting goals, and updating our strategy for the year.

All of these involve setting expectations. 

Last week I hosted an audio event focused on goal setting and how goals can help us focus and filter.

(Click here to listen to the conversation)

These are three mistakes we tend to make when setting expectations for ourselves AND others:

1. We are terrible at planning and cannot predict the future. As a result, we tend to underestimate how long a project will take for us. When we become leaders, we tend to forget how long a task takes (or assume that our team members will take as long as we did), so when we are setting expectations, we don’t consider the capacity or capabilities of our team.
2. We set massive goals thinking they would be more motivating. Ambitious goals are great, but as leaders, we must create time to break down goals into achievable and actionable chunks for ourselves and our team. What is the impact of having massive goals without a plan? Paralysis, overwhelm, and potential disengagement.
3. We focus on the wrong set of variables. In addition to being unable to predict the future, we cannot control other people. Create time to connect with the why behind the goals you set and the elements that you can control directly (for example, you cannot force someone to buy your product, but you can reach out to them a certain number of times or follow up every week). If you assign goals to your team, give them an opportunity to get clear on the why and the behaviors/ attitude they will need to succeed. Also, ensure they are on the same page about inputs they can control and the resulting outcome from those inputs (for example, your customer service team can respond to issues within a specified period. The hope is that by being responsive, customers will renew).

(Click here to listen to the rest of the goal-setting tips shared)

What else should leaders keep in mind to set goals this year? What would you add to the list? Let me know by commenting below.

P.S. Click here to register for my next free leadership-focused event that will help you further your growth, advancement, or wealth.