But is SMART enough?

DIVE into GOAL SETTING

Personal growth and professional development depend heavily on the goals we set for ourselves and others. We look for something to achieve and set the plan in motion – whether we work in our own business or for someone else.

Goal setting has become equated in so many places with the SMART process - I think of it as Goal Setting 101 -  that is, goals should be Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Results-Oriented and Time-Framed; this is an excellent start. You can tell when you’re making progress.

But is SMART enough?

I’ve been participating in a LinkedIn group discussion about stretch goals – are they helpful or harmful? Opinions are diverse, but I believe goal setting has to begin with the straightforward SMART approach AND go on from there.

Increasingly, many of us find something lacking in SMART – each year in early January, I encounter articles that theorize there’s more to goal setting than SMART.

And I do so agree. It seems like we ought to be up to Goal Setting 201 in the business world by now. SMART is the basis for a clearly identified goal, but where’s the real motivation, the passion we need to OVER-ACHIEVE the goal? Isn’t that really what you’re looking for?

I’m thinking in terms of Advanced Goal Setting now and I call it DIVE™ - see what you think:

D – Difficult – we’re talking about a goal that’s not just attainable (A), but has stretch to it – that really challenges someone. The goal is not impossible to achieve, but after discussing with a team member how he/she may extend themselves and gaining agreement to the importance of the goal, why not add a degree of difficulty? People do rise to challenges.

I - I CARE - there is certainly no point in creating any goal if the team member is checked out of the job, has no commitment to the work. “I CARE” says this goal matters, it’s important and I understand how it fits in the overall scheme of business results here. My work and the achievement of my goals complement the larger organization’s achievement – that makes me valuable to the enterprise – I’m glad to be recognized for the work I do and the contributions I make.

V – Visionary – this is a characteristic we usually ascribe to leaders, but we also underrate team members’ abilities to see down the road. Helping a team member envision where the achievement of this goal could lead is opening doors he/she never imagined they might get through. I’ve used a great technique: use stickies to have team members post different thoughts in a central locale about how things will look once this goal is accomplished, what will be different, how will things work, what will it mean for our customers? This is a powerful motivator.

E – Extra Effort – If the goal has some stretch to it, extra effort will naturally be required. But because your team member can see the gain behind this goal, because he/she says “I CARE”, they’re willing to give that bit of extra – maybe it’s reading, maybe it’s taking an online course, maybe it’s tutoring someone else – you and the team member can think of many ways to reach the goal.

So DIVE™ sums up what I consider the next level of goal setting – and it’s worth diving (sorry!) in to the depths of goal setting – this is where it all begins with your team members, where you have the opportunity to set the stage for the year, to engage their ownership and buy-in to what needs to be done, to begin developing that all-important relationship that makes such a difference in everyday work life.

No need to rehash all the studies that say “people don’t quit companies, they quit their managers”. The managers who work to create strong business relationships, who involve team members in goal setting, who work with team members to achieve goals, always have the edge - and they have the most loyal team members.

Just DIVE™!!!

D = Difficult

I = I CARE

V = Visionary

E = Extra Effort

Question for you: What standards do you use to set your own goals?