Have you ever played darts without a dartboard?
Of course not or if you have it was a very frustrating game because you didn’t know if you were having success. As a leader you are always moving toward something, but maybe you get anxious when you have to do performance reviews and goal setting for your team.
I was talking with someone about this idea of goal setting for their team. We discussed how there is a tension to manage in this process. The tension of comfort.
Before going any further allow me to suggest that the purpose of the goal is to guide the growth. If we focus on the growth then the goal will take care of itself. Here are some ideas to consider when setting goals either personally or with your team
Uncomfortable
“Growth stops when you lose the tension between where you are and where you could be.”
John C. Maxwell
Imagine you have a member on your sales team who easily hits the number 100 (add as many zeros as you want). You know they have more capacity because you’ve resourced them with people to help service their clients. You want them to get out and keep growing, but you are frustrated since they are complacent. They need a goal that will stretch them, but they are already a high performer and you are worried they will quit. How can we set this uncomfortable goal?
Take time to sit down with the individual and ask a few questions:
- How satisfied are you with your results? (This helps you gauge their motivation)
- Where would you like to be a year from now? (This helps you gauge their vision)
- What kind of goal can we set that will stretch you and help you grow? (This invites them into the conversation so they own the goal)
The goal is to collaborate on a goal that stretches them and as the leader you may need to help them see they can do more than they believe.
Reasonable
After you have asked the above questions you then need to decide if the goal is reasonable. If you are asking the sales person to go from 100 to 200, is that reasonable? Here are a few factors to consider when determining if it is reasonable:
- Time they have – audit the individual’s calendar together and ask what do they need to stop doing so they can move toward the goal
- Skills – do they need training to reach this goal? If so, where?
- Uncontrollables – are there factors going on in the industry, market, etc. that need to be considered to determine if this is a reasonable goal
These are just a few factors to consider, but there may be more that are specific to your environment. As you both determine whether the goal is reasonable you may want to consider one final factor.
Personality
Stress is real and everyone handles it differently. Goals drive some but may stress out others. A little pressure can create a stress that will motivate, but too much may paralyze.
A certain percentage of the population are wired for goals. They are drivers. Others are stressed out by the goals because they want to do it perfect. Some are stressed because they see it as a change and they don’t like change. Finally, some see the goal as positive if it is a game.
As you put the final goals together figure out which category this individual is in. Maybe they work best with an annual goal as weekly or monthly goals will paralyze them to the point of inactivity. Some may need smaller goals to keep them focused. Others may need your help on discerning the plan because they want to do it right. Finally, some may function best when they see their goal helps support the team.
As you discern everyone’s personality you will be able to have the goal setting conversation in a manner that stretches them to grow yet does not create unnecessary stress.
Which of these areas do you need to grow in as you set goals with your team? Need help thinking further into your process? Contact me for a thinking partner session.
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