9 Critical Aspects to consider when Setting

Goals.
Ryan Barretto

We're nearing the end of the calendar year. New Years

Resolutions and new goals are going to be set. These goals will
hopefully make us happy and improve the quality of our life -
conditions apply.I have just finished reading the book 'Flow' by
Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, which is about how to achieve
happiness (Is Happiness on your Goalsheet?). One of the essential
requirements is to set goals for yourself that test and stretch your
skills, strengths and talents (psst... not your weaknesses). I am not
benefiting from the book sales in any way, but please do read it,
as it will give you really good insights.
You have to set goals to get ahead in life. This is true enough, but
really no one tells you how to do this.
Then you are also told to find your passion or purpose. Again, no
one can really say exactly how this is to be done.
Sometimes, goals get confused with purpose. Here's a superbly
lucid distinction I found by Prof. David Clutterbuck, who said
"The difference between Purpose and Goals is as follows: 
   Purpose = envisaging the world we want to live in and our role
in bringing it about.
   Goals   = the actions and decisions that will help to create that
world."
So effectively, there are three challenges about setting goals:
1. How to define and set goals.
 2. How to ensure that your goals serve (align with) your
purpose.
3. How to ensure that working on your goals will give you
satisfaction and joy.
This is a bigger problem if you happen to be a manager or leader
and have to set goals for others.  When it comes to setting goals
for others, especially in the corporate world, goals are handed
down because you hold a particular position that is based on
your job description. There is little, if any, discussion about the
'how' of the goal.
Here are the Nine aspects about setting goals (whether setting
them for yourself or your team / organization):
Aspect 1) What is the "why" for the goal to exist?
Why this matters? You are committing scarce and expensive
resources (particularly time) to an activity that is expected to
bring some benefit to the organization.
Aspect 2) How exactly is the goal being defined?
Why this matters? Will the goal be understood in the same clarity
and context as when it was set?
Aspect 3) How is the goal being measured? How will we all
know when or if the goal is achieved? Where and what
milestones / metrics do we have to look at in order to know
this?
Why this matters? These are critical for course correction during
our journey to the goal, otherwise there is a strong chance that we
will miss our goal. We don't really want to be like Christopher
Columbus.
Aspect 4) What are the various steps required to accomplish
the goal? How much control does the employee have on these
steps?
Why this matters? Goals are comprised of complex tasks and sub-
tasks. To execute each task successfully and within deadlines
means supporting the employee a great deal, especially in the
areas where they don’t have control on outcomes.  
An awareness of this helps us understand whether the goal being
assigned is realistic (particularly under stringent timelines) or not.
Aspect 5) Are these steps / sub-tasks of the goals aligned with
the employee's strengths?
Why this matters? Let’s take an example – if an employee is
assigned a customer interfacing role, but has great skills in
analytics and doesn't enjoy people interactions very much, that
employee is doomed to both failure and frustration on the
job. Because of this, the manager will also fail in achieving his
goals, along with a host of other complications, not to mention
possible loss of customers.  
When the tasks are aligned to the employee’s strengths, there is
research showing that there will be superlative performance and
the employee will be more engaged at work.
Aspect 6) How much impact / influence is expected from
external factors (current and future), including business &
political environment, on the accomplishment of these goals?
Why this matters? This is about awareness of market sensitivities
and their possible impact on your customers (current and
potential) or suppliers / vendors or both.
If we can anticipate these correctly, how flexible are we / can we
be to take advantage and ride these waves towards meeting our
goals? 
Aspect 7) Does the employee have any control on these
factors? If so, to what degree can they influence or impact
these factors to get an effective outcome?
Why this matters? Here's another example:- If the employees
requires some software upgrades or some approvals which would
improve their productivity, then the longer they are without it, the
longer it will take them work effectively to reach their goals.
When you make an employee responsible for achieving goals
where they have no control on the factors affecting the goals, then
you end up creating frustrated employees. These employees will
either leave the organization, which is not a good situation, or will
stay and turn toxic, which is terrible for the other employees.
Aspect 8) What support can the immediate manager and the
leadership team provide to the employee to achieve these
zero-target goals? How will they ensure that they will
provide the support sufficiently in time?
Why this matters? This follows from the previous question
especially since it is unlikely that all employees will have control
on their budgets.
As a leader / manager, your success is tied to your teams
successes and the same applies to failures - yours and theirs. It
would be strange to get a high rating for yourself as the HOD and
rate people in the team as low.
This is your best opportunity to build trust with your team.
Aspect 9) Will this support be included in the immediate
manager and leadership teams' goalsheets? What will be the
criteria for measuring this goal here?
Why this matters? This tends to get missed out in many leaders
and managers. If asked, you can be told that it is implied and
doesn't need to be explicitly stated. Also, just stating it without
saying how it will be evaluated is ineffective. This needs to
jointly brainstormed for clear articulation. 
I think articulation of this will help to develop a robust
organization and department, else why make that person manage
a team?
As you can see, these questions can be used to analyze and review any types of goals,
including zero-target goals.

You might say "aside from the time involved, I'm not fully sure how to go about doing this".
Here's the reality - to really do this well, we're going to need other skills like 

 Research, 
 Analysis, 
 Teamworking,
 Articulation, 
 Influencing.  

You may also need a coach or a consultant along with some of your colleagues to help you
walk this journey.

The bad news - you may not have all these skills up to the required ability within yourself.  

The good news - you may find them within your team members.  

This is how you get your weaknesses to complement your colleague's strengths.  

When you use your strengths to support someone who has a weakness where you
have a strength; and they do the same for you, then you are building trust
and collaborating effectively while engaging as a well-knit team.

By the way, I'm sure you realize that these skills are required on the personal front, whether
you are buying a house, making weekend plans, vacation, hosting a party, and so on.

I'll be happy to assist you in defining and setting your goals thus making 2022 your year to
shine. Write to me on ryanbbarretto@hotmail.com to set up a meeting or call me
+919820155778 for an appointment.

I wish you all the best in making 2022 a productive and goal completion year.