GOALS

Goal-setting and working toward achieving them are constant in all things-work, family, sports, other interests. And, this should be the case. Goal-setting comes from the beginning of time. Some goals were set the first day of summer camp. Some were listed upon approaching high-school graduation. Some were outlined at MBA school. Some are regularly stated to analysts and investors in quarterly earnings meetings.

The most important means of achieving goals is to have goals in the first place. Take time to plan. Don't pick the first goals that come to mind and pursue them. There is a risk in this of being on the road toward achieving a goal and realizing it wasn't the right goal. Other goals could have deserved the time, meanwhile.

Here are some tips on achieving targets that are worth pursuing.

Write down ideas and keep coming back to them. If they still sound like good ideas, incorporate them. Take time to think about the goals and consider possibilities in all aspects of business or life. This provides a balanced approach and improves the chances of maintaining momentum and staying on track.

Don't rely only on memory to provide the mental focus and conscious and subconscious reminders necessary for pursuing these goals. Upon selecting a goal, write it down as a ready reference and reminder. Establish an official "goals journal."

Have a plan. Individuals without a plan run a great risk of not achieving targets or expend more energy, time and resources in achieving them. Think through and prepare a plan specifying the major actions required. A well-thought-out plan will create momentum; what must be done next will always be apparent. Identify alternative approaches too, and consider possible resources or assistance. Make it the best plan possible.

Make goal-setting a continuous process. Don't view goal-setting as an activity done just once a year. Goals are tools for growth, and one's goals should be continually growing and changing. Do look at goal setting as an evolving process that will continue on a life-long basis, ever-increasing and changing. Evaluate major goals monthly, and others quarterly. Establish deadlines. One will procrastinate when there is no approaching deadline. Timetables provide a ready reference for establishing where one is and what's next.

Be specific. Don't select generalized, non-specific goals, such as "increase sales" or "improve shareholder value," because any increase in sales or shareholder value, regardless of how small, will satisfy the stated goal. Specify the percentage by which sales or shareholder value should be increased, and by when.

Select "cause goals" as well as end-result goals. End-result goals are important, but they often are not doable per se. A goal of "improve margin 1%" is not actionable. What is actionable is a goal of "consolidating in this gas field," resulting in an improved operating margin. It is clearer as to what is necessary to achieve that goal.

Keep goals to yourself. Don't share goals or plans for pursuing them with more people than necessary. Some people don't really want some goals to be pursued or achieved because they are comfortable with the status quo and may unconsciously resist efforts toward change.

Some individuals must know, of course, so share goals and plans for pursuing them with these people, so they will provide support. Share business goals with everyone who can contribute toward achievement.

When goals are to be achieved by a team, get all team members to buy into them. All team members should be onboard. Do take whatever positive, proactive steps are necessary to unify the team. Begin with a laser-clear statement of the goal. Get individual team-member buy-in by making each aware of what achievement of the goal will mean to the team and personally. Address any misgivings or concerns.

Be constantly aware of the goals. Don't write goals on a piece of paper and stick them in a drawer. Be reminded constantly of them. Create a variety of visible reminders and plans for pursuing them. It is better to use a variety of physical reminders than just one that can become so obvious it is ignored.

Use a method for pursuing goals. Don't try to select and pursue goals without using a goal-setting and pursuing method. Without a method, efforts are ineffectual and inefficient. Establish and follow a systematic method for selecting and prioritizing goals and plans to achieve them. Methods are the best-kept secrets of successful businesses and individuals.

Choose big goals. Small goals are easy to achieve. Big goals are beyond the comfort zone, and force skill development. Break big goals into smaller goals. Don't try to pursue big goals without breaking them into manageable components. A big goal can become mentally overwhelming. It is easier to pursue action steps if they are small enough that accomplishment can be imagined.

Small, manageable segments can be pursued on a monthly, weekly, daily and hourly basis. Restate a goal of "review revenue reports weekly" into "review a revenue report of one operating area each day."

Begin each day with a plan. Don't ever begin a day without a plan. Individuals who begin their days without a plan only achieve a fraction of the results achieved by those who begin with a plan. Each day, specify the five most important actions that should be accomplished. Prepare the plan the day before, and list actions to take, in priority.

Make daily progress the No. 1 priority. Don't let a day go by without making progress toward major goals. One day without progress leads to two days without progress, two days leads to several days, and several days lead to weeks. Use a daily plan to monitor progress and for help with focusing.

Periodically evaluate progress. Don't keep working original plans toward goals without periodically evaluating progress. There is no such thing as a perfect plan, only plans that are continually improving. Establish milestones at the outset as to when a formal, hard and objective look will be made at developments to date and to evaluate what's ahead.

Seek assistance from others. Don't be a loner in pursuing goals. No one ever achieved a significant goal alone. Do give some thought to the help and support needed to achieve goals and ask for help and assistance; persist until it is done. When thinking about getting assistance, think big. Who could best help?

Get back on track fast when diverted. Diversions can be unavoidable at times. Deal with these interruptions, while keeping a focus on the goals. Determine how to return to the course, and get back on track as fast as possible.

Learn from mistakes. Don't make a mistake, big or little, and not learn from it. It is not possible to avoid all mistakes, but it is possible to avoid making the same mistake twice. The way to learn is to ask questions: What went wrong? Why did it go wrong? How could it have been prevented?

James R. Ball is president, chief executive officer and co-founder of The Goals Institute, which helps organizations and individuals achieve goals (GoalPower.com). This article is adapted from his book DNA Leadership through Goal-Driven Management.

ADDITIONAL TIPS
Pursue goals worthy of pursuit. Goals pursued with less than full effort may not be achieved or can become abandoned. When achieving a goal is truly desired, it is powerful and difficult to sway from. The certainty that this goal is worthy will propel one through obstacles and sustain energy.

Pursue only one or two major goals at a time, prioritizing goals. Some goals may be ones of less importance, such as ones involving hobbies, while others are more important, such as achieving company reserves and production growth.

Accept responsibility for achieving personal goals; don't expect someone else to do the work. Carefully assign achievement of business goals to key team members, and have a back-up plan for that individual's failure.

Strive for consistency and persistence. Don't pursue goals in a herky-jerky manner. A start-again, stop-again manner results in missed opportunities to create momentum. Wait to initiate pursuit of a goal until when completely convinced it is a good goal and it is time to pursue it.

Keep at it with steady and growing effort until each goal is realized. Persis