What Time Is It?

What time is it? It’s not just the beginning of a new year, it’s also the time to establish goals that are to be achieved throughout the year.

It’s old news that goals must be SMART:

• Specific
• Measurable
• Achievable (and Actionable)
• Relevant
• Time Based

For those of you ahead of the game, meaning you had them completed before year end 2022 so day 1 of 2023 you could action them, congratulations! (Through all our years in corporate America, that only happened to us once).

So, let’s say you either have, or shortly will have documented goals. That’s a starting point, but one common point of failure is that team members don’t understand how they can support each goal.

As leaders, we need to clarify what each goal means, and how varying roles and positions can support their attainment.

1. Share what the “end-game” is
2. Share your expectations required from each team member
3. Share how and when each goal will be measured
4. If the goal is too big, break it down
5. Assess if you have the resources, skill-sets, and funding in place
6. Discuss if any dependencies or collaboration with other teams is needed
7. Establish an escalation path if obstacles or roadblocks are encountered
8. Obtain commitment from team members

It’s also essential that each goal clearly supports your vision and mission statements; this includes ensuring all actions and behaviors within your organization support them. If they aren’t, it’s up to you to immediately address them.

Author Melody Beattie states: The new year stands before us, like a chapter in a book, waiting to be written. We can help write that story by setting goals.

It’s time; create your 2023 goals and document your successes!

Sincerely,