Leadership: Goal Setting

Comment: This is the third post of the Leadership Process series. I began this series because I saw a lack of rigor and discipline to leadership. The purpose of these posts is to look at a process model used by leaders. 

Goal Setting

Perhaps one of the most often overlooked efforts in leadership is goal setting. Some people confuse goal setting with vision and objectives. Goals are benchmarks or significant achievements along the way used to assess progress towards the end state or objectives. Goals are usually the outcome or conclusion of a major effort or phase. Hence, the vision becomes a project and broken into major smaller but significant projects or phases, each a goal toward the overarching vision.

Leader should think of goal setting as performance management and having the characteristics of motivation, encouragement, rewards, and consequences. When applied correctly goal setting spurs people on to great accomplishments in projects.

Goals should be organized logically and prioritized. Leaders must consider the amount of effort and resources necessary to achieve the goals. Sometimes goals are unattainable for a variety of reasons. For example, the Navy had a vision for a vertical takeoff and landing stealth bomber, A12 Avenger. They set the goals and began development of the airframe. However, a critical goal relied on the technological achievement of certain material kinds and a projection was made that the technology would emerge. As time passed the material technology never emerged, the weight of the airframe increased significantly as a result, and the cost to drive the projected technology was unreasonable or unknown. Therefore, the vision was abandoned. 

There are types of goals; immediate, short term, and long term. Immediate goals look into the future for a very small period such as 1 to 4 weeks. Short term goals look into the future for a period extending from 2 months upto about a year out. Long term goals can be from 1 to 10 years into the future. However,  the temporal term can be replaced with milestones. This typically occurs when time is not a factor but performance is an essential factor. Thus, at the expense of time high quality, exact precision, or very accurate milestones are achieved.

F.R.A.M.E. 

Knowing what a goal is and how to discern the goal's term is important. Just as important is how to set the goal. The acronym F.R.A.M.E. can aid is understanding this process.

Find: Search your vision for logical break points or major achievements necessary for the vision to become a reality or put into effect. Identify possible strategies to reach each goal. Select the best ones.

Realistic: Goals must be realistic and achievable. Aim high but achievable.

Aim: Get focused. Outline specific plans to accomplish the strategies. Publish direction to follow and achieve the goals. An unwritten want is a wish, a dream to never happen. The day you put the plan in writing is the day it becomes a commitment.

Method:  Find methods or means of achieving results that fit the strategy.  Don’t be afraid to ask for help.  Work hard to realize the goals.

Evaluate: Results should be measurable and discernable.

S.M.A.R.T.

Another acronym, S.M.A.R.T.,  with a slightly different focus can also aid in goal setting practice.

Specific:  Goals should be specific enough that we know exactly for what we are striving towards.

Measurable: Goals are measurable. There should be an answer as to when the goal is attained.

Actionable: Goals must have activities that produce results.

Reviewed: Goals must be scrutinized and monitored with regular progress checks. Have an interested but disassociated party monitor and hold you to the goals.

Tangible: Goal results must be tangible, observable, or otherwise empirical.  Vague or ethereal results will be difficult to demonstrate successful achievement.

Performance Management

Performance management in foundational to leadership. Motivation and commitment drive towards achievement. Motivation is a nurturing activity of leaders that is coupled with rewards. Rewards are recieved for "doing something right" and should not be thought of in a negative manner of 'just rewards'. Rewards are recieved in a timely manner. Commitment creates accountability and is what sets the path to reach the goals. Inspiration plays a major role in spurring people to maximum performance. People need to feel like they are a part of something bigger than themself. Encouragement is the fuel that keeps the potential moving forward. Consequences are the result of positive or negative performance.   These qualities push to complete all of the steps in the Goal process.  Leaders must be flexible as small victories lead to hugh successes. Why goals fail:

1. The goal was not written down.
2. Rewards for achieving the goals were not thought through or considered.
3. The goal was unrealistic or not specific enough.
4. The goal is not really believable or little commitment exists.
5. Lack of stability as goals keep changing or switching goals with the weather. 
6. The person who set the goal has not told anyone else for added accountability, help and support.
7. The goal was not incorporated into a realistic plan that includes measurements, timelines and resources. 

However, the benefits of proper goal setting are immense:

1. Suffer less from stress and anxiety
2. Stronger focus and unity of effort.
3. Shows greater confidence.
4. Improves performance.
5. Followers are more content. 

Goal setting is a critical element of the leadership process following vision identification and precedes change management. Setting proper goals sets the stage for greater achievements and progress towards the vision. Leaders set sage goals.

Comment: During this post, we hit upon many things. Of these things were character qualities such as rewards, motivation, committment, etc... After I complete the process post I will begin looking at these qualities to some degree. At any rate, this completes the section on Goal Setting. The next topic is Change Management from a leadership perspective.

References:

Woolfe, L. (2002). Leadership secrets from the bible. MJF Books, New York.