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We’re only two weeks into the New Year, but I’m betting that the holidays are already feeling like a distant memory for most of you.
Before we get too far into the year, let’s talk about goals. In a professional context, we set goals for two reasons – because we want to achieve something and because our companies ask us to. I’m going to focus here on the latter.
Throughout my career, I’ve been underwhelmed by the whole corporate goal-setting process – it takes too long, goals are often vague or not outcome-oriented, what matters at the start of the year isn’t what matters as the year progresses, and goals often carry little weight in end-of-year reviews.
While few of us are in a position to fix all of the ills of the corporate goal-setting process, we can at least do our part to break the cycle. Here are some tips for doing just that:
1. Get going. All too often, goal setting seems to take the entire first quarter. Why would you let 25% of the year go by before you set and document your goals?
2. Get SMART. No, not the TV show. George Doran coined the SMART mnemonic more than 40 years ago, noting that the best goals are Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-Bound. For more on SMART goals, see our post.
3. Get in synch. Make sure you and your manager are fully-aligned on your goals. Ideally, you should delineate what’s going to constitute “good performance” and what’s going to constitute “outstanding performance.” As the year progresses, you should also have periodic discussions on whether the goals you wrote at the beginning of the year are still the right goals, as priorities can change. All of this reduces the likelihood that you’ll be misaligned with your manager when it’s time for end-of-year reviews.
4. Get others involved. You have a much higher likelihood of achieving your goals if you talk to others about them. Why? (A) Because you feel a greater accountability to meet goals that you’ve shared, and (B) Because those other people may actually be able to help you in achieving your goals. They can’t do that if they don’t know what your goals are.
So what are our PathWise goals for the year? Here are a few:
- Double our audience size on LinkedIn and in our newsletter distribution list
- Grow our member base by 3x
- Increase revenues by 4x
How can you help us in achieving these goals?
1. Spread the word! Mention PathWise to your family, friends, and colleagues. Start today by sending them this newsletter and encouraging them to sign up for our mailing list and join as members. Basic membership is free, so what’s the downside?
2. Share your feedback. Fill us in (in confidence) about the career-related topics that are on your mind. Tell us what PathWise content particularly resonates. We’re here for you, so your feedback is incredibly valuable to us. Drop us a note anytime at info@pathwise.io.
3. Invest in your career. Our coaches are here to help. Coaching can help you at any point in your career, not just when you’re job-hunting, or feeling stuck, unfilled or burned-out. Getting help from the right coach isn’t cheap, but it can make a huge difference, as our testimonials show. This is about as much of a sales pitch as you’re going to get from us, but our coaches are here to help when you’re ready.
Thanks to all of you, and go get that goal-setting done!
JR Lowry and the PathWise team
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