Chapter 1 Destination – Choose your own way
This article is part of the ‘How to’ coaching series. An ongoing series of activities you can use to help make your business more successful. Follow it step by step and see positive results as you develop a robust foundation to gain control of your business.
1 – We have goals which are reviewed at regular intervals.
Do you have goals for your business? I’d be surprised if you didn’t. It’s a topic covered by almost every advisor, management consultant; even my bank tells me about setting goals.
Now comes the shocking part. What percentage of businesses actually achieve those goals? Some recent industry experts have said that 94% of goals set are NOT achieved!
Ok, so you may be saying, well I set lots and achieved all mine! You are in the very small minority that have.
I see a plethora of adverts and exultations ‘get your goals achieved this year’. Well, it’s obviously not working for most people.
The clients I’ve worked with over the years who have achieved great things, have set and focused on implementing SMARTIE goals. When you give something your attention, it usually gets seen to.
The easiest task to achieve, with a 99% success rate, is an itchy nose. It will bother you until you do something about it. The problem with most goal setting is that people set unrealistic goals, often to impress others of how things are going to be.
I may be controversial here, but I’m going to say it anyway; set your goals on your own; for you and your business. Goals set when in a high achieving group can be good, but my experience is that people feel under pressure to set almost impossible targets.
The ‘How to’ bit:
Have a separate sheet for each goal. Make it a SMARTIE goal. Break the goal down into manageable activities and tasks. Set realistic dates to get each bit done by. Put the actions in your diary. Review progress daily/weekly/monthly, as appropriate. Measure the results.
Be prepared to change the goal if needed. Achieving a goal for the sake of it is madness. Business changes all the time, so be flexible.
Scratch that itch!
… and if you’d like to learn about SMARTIE Goals and how coaching can help you with your business, follow this link and Contact Us…
