Goal-setting strategies for leaders that work

Posted on February 22, 2023 by Vicky Regan, PCC, CEC, One of Thousands of Leadership Coaches on Noomii.

“If you don’t know where you’re going, you’ll probably wind up somewhere else”

That line has been around for a long time. It applies to many situations, but especially to the world of leadership. Leaders are often pulled in many directions, and without a clear sense of direction they can very easily and quickly be pulled off course. Setting clear and well-defined goals greatly improves the odds of knowing where you want to go and how you’ll get there/

Goals provide motivation, vision, and encouragement to help direct you to your
desired outcome. Goal setting provides clarity about your future, allowing you to take
active steps in reaching your goals, regardless of their magnitude. This guide provides
you with a simple process to setting and accomplishing both your short-term and
long-term goals, preparing you for future success.

When setting goals, be sure they are SMART

What are SMART goals?
Specific
Measurable
Achievable
Relevant
Time-Bound

● Specific — Your goal must be clear to you. What do you aim to accomplish?
What action will you take? Who needs to be included? Why is this a goal?
● Measurable — State your goal in a quantifiable manner, allowing you to clearly
evaluate them. What metrics will measure your goal? How can you measure your
progress to know you’ve met your goal?
● Achievable — Goals should be difficult, but also achievable. Use an action plan
to be sure of this. Is your goal doable? Do you have the proper resources? Do
you have the necessary skills? Is it worth the amount of effort required?
● Relevant — Your goal must be associated with skills that will add value. Why
now? Why is the result important? Does it align with your overall objectives?
● Time-Bound — Set a date of completion for your goal with checkpoints to
evaluate your progress. What is the time frame for accomplishing your goal?

SMART Goal Guide: exercise

Writing your goals will help provide clarity. Think of this document as living and
breathing. Have this in front of you all the time, reference and adjust as needed. Be sure
to be concise, realistic, and positive.
Starting Goal:__________________________________________________________
Specific — What do you wish to accomplish? What action will you take? Who needs to
be included? Why is this a goal?
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
Measurable — What metrics will measure your goal? How can you measure your
progress to know you’ve met your goal?
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
Achievable — Is your goal doable? Do you have the proper resources? Do you have
the necessary skills? Is it worth the amount of effort required?
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
Relevant — Why now? Why is the result important? Does it align with your overall
objectives?
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
Time-Bound — What is the time frame for accomplishing your goal? Is the deadline
realistic?
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
SMART Goal:__________________________________________________________

Types of Goals
When thinking about your goals, it is important to consider the various types of goals
that exist. Goals seek to create, improve, increase, reduce, save or develop, but there
are three types of goals: process, performance, and outcome. These three types of
goals have a linear relationship, moving from one to the other.

1. Process
● Process goals are specific actions you aim to take. Some simple
examples are aiming to read every night before bed for 1 hour or doing
your laundry every Sunday. These goals are completely in your control.

2. Performance
● Performance goals are set to your own standard, based on how well you
do. For example, you could aim to land a new client or hit a quarterly sales
quota. These goals are mostly in your control.

3. Outcome
● Outcome goals are based on succeeding. This could be landing a job at
your preferred company, or winning a competition. Outcome goals are
affected by outside influences making them very difficult to control.
Remember the three types of goals are linear. If you accomplish your process goals,
you are likely to accomplish your performance goals. When you accomplish your
performance goals, you will have a greater chance of accomplishing your outcome goal.

Accountability
Finally, after you’ve set and written out your goals, the most important thing you can do is hold
yourself accountable. Staying on track with your goals is vital to achieving them.
Remember, your goals sheet is a living, breathing document. To stay on track you must
frequently review, update, reference and remind yourself. This will ensure that the
information is top of mind and accurate to your progress.