Much is written about the benefits of setting goals and how they can transform individual and organisational performance. While it is true that goals can make a real difference, they need to be meaningful. What do I mean when I say that they need to be meaningful?
They need to focus on something that matters
Too often, organisations set goals that they think should rather than setting goals that they really care about. When this happens, it might be due to the organisation losing sight of its core purpose or reason for being in business.
They need to be realistic
There are many differing points of view on what is realistic and what is not realistic. Part of this realism test is about taking stock of where you are right now and whether the timescale that you have set for achieving the goal is believable to you and your team.
They need to measurable
If you are to set a meaningful goal you need to be able to measure whether you are on track or off track when it comes to delivering the anticipated results. If you find that you are struggling to determine a way of measuring, it might be that you need to revisit your goal to make more specific and reduce vagueness.
By Bill Thomas – Project Management Professional (PMP) Consultant – Process Improvement Manager – Quality Manager – Corporate Trainer
