6 Steps Making Goals Work Better

Goals do not replace good leadership. They are just tools. They are not ends. Making goals work better is about leadership.

Goal setting though is a key part of classic management theory. Searches on making goals work focus on this. They do not focus on leadership. This is like building a house without looking at the site first.

How Leadership Affects Goals

When it comes to making goals work better, good leadership is about helping others to see that the goals are realistic. An unrealistic goal is worse than no goal.

Belief is often the difference here. This belief is the real premium good leadership gives. Good leadership turns unrealistic goals into realistic ones.

Making Goals Work Better

The steps making goals work better are more than just saying, “I believe you can meet these goals.” They are more than just a quick one-shot thing. They take the form of well-planned positioning before goals are set.

These steps mean looking at the firm’s, division’s and team’s culture. They look at the personality of the employee. They look at the relationship between employee and culture. This trumps goals.

6 Steps Making Goals Work Better

The six steps making goals work better are:

1. Create good relationships with employees.
2. Point out what they do well.
3. Build their confidence and belief in themselves.
4. Show how they help you.
5. Raise their sights on what can be done.
6. Repeat 1-5 on an ongoing basis.

Goals have problems when built on weak relationships. Employees need to see what they do well. A generic “good job” is nice. It is not specific though.

Reasons are not enough. Our own belief helps their confidence and belief. The policy, “If I don’t say anything, then all is well,” is just no good. Stating how their talents help us connects our beliefs to hard facts. That means connecting that help to raised sights.

All of this is like farming or gardening. We cannot just water once and expect that to be enough. We need to apply routinely. They create the strong base for making goals work better.

Final Word on Leadership and Goals

Leadership is not about setting goals. It is instilling belief in employees. It is showing how an unrealistic goal could be realistic if we help employees apply themselves.