Skip to main content

Goal Setting

Goal setting helps highlight the milestones and targets that define the success criteria of a task. Priming oneself to the iterative process of goal setting helps in setting up for success, enables continuous improvement, and manage expectations and anxiety. Let's begin with describing a process to set and review our goals; SMARTER 1 goal.

SMARTER goal

  • S: Specific
  • M: Measurable
  • A: Achievable
  • R: Relevant
  • T: Time-Bound
  • ER: Evaluated and Reviewed

Specific

This is easier explained with an anti-thesis, avoid setting goals such as "Be healthier", "Become rich", etc. Instead have a specific task, which if done consistently will help achieve your lofty, non-specific goal, "Stick to my diet".

Measurable

Making your goal measurable may be the most crucial aspect of goal setting. It helps in two ways; one it helps track progress, two, it helps with every other step of this process. If your goal is not measurable, you do not know if it is achievable, relevant, how much time to put in, how to evaluate, and how to review.

Achievable & Relevant

These are the following two aspects respectively, that which is possible (achievable) and that which is under the influence of your actions (relevant). The goal, "Have this bigot, realize their bigotry", is both outside your influence and may be, in fact, impossible. "Act in a manner that sets an example of being impartial and fair" is both possible and that which you control; keep in mind, achievable/relevant does not mean it is easy to do.

Time-Bound

Parkinson's law 2 is best explained by the Stock–Sanford corollary: "If you wait until the last minute, it only takes a minute to do". The takeaway is to have a timeline that is realistic, may challenge you, and never not have a deadline. This may also help prioritize your goals, where if you have too many; the goals that are expected to be completed beyond a quarter, be put on hold.

Evaluated & Reviewed

This is the feedback loop to evaluate and review existing goals, to help estimate and set new goals. First and foremost, we can formally postmortem efforts towards the goal, declaring success or how we fell short. Furthermore, as the goal is tracked, pain-points and areas of improvements should be evident, which could contribute towards the new goals.

References

  1. SMART criteria - Wikipedia - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SMART_criteria
  2. Parkinson's law - Wikipedia - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parkinson%27s_law

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Feeding your inner feedback monster

“Feedback is the breakfast of champions.” Ken Blanchard. Feedback should be timely, on a cadence, effective to elucidate objectively what occurred. If it is positive, it enables repetition; if redirecting, it enables correction. The ability to detach subjectivity from feedback is difficult and takes deliberation and practice. Outlined is a simple structure whose application can pave the path to gracefully give and receive feedback. STAR/AR Feedback STAR/AR is an acronym for ST: Situation/Task A: Action taken against the situation/task R: Result A: Alternate Action R: Alternate Result STAR is for reinforcing (positive) feedback, STAR/AR is for redirecting (critical) feedback. STAR example Situation/Task: We were struggling with the daily report Action: You introduced and conducted sessions to the new process for the daily report Result: We streamlined our daily report STAR/AR example Situation/Task: We introduced a new process for the daily report Acti
Post a Comment
Read more

Mezel Smith - Q32019

I really appreciate how you provided several possibilities/options based on what I told you. While you tried to hold me accountable for my goals, you still provided options/ideas that I should look into that could help me with my goals, which was helpful in my experimentation of how I accomplish those goals. One thing I would have wanted more of was actually you being less hesitant in providing your opinion. For me, I came into the coaching sessions, actually wanting all your opinions based on what I was saying. I wanted to get more feedback from you, even if I disagreed with it because my use-case is I am someone that looks for lots of feedback when I come to a coach with my progress/shortcomings because I never know when something really helpful or helpful to learn will come from someone else. Thanks!
Post a Comment
Read more

Culture - what it is not

5 Monkeys were placed in a closed room, with a ladder leading up to a bunch of bananas. The most curious (or hungriest) monkey would cautiously start climbing up. After crossing a threshold on the ladder, a shower of ice-cold water would drench them. This would deter the first monkey, more startled at the sudden rain; jumping off the ladder and retreating to the corners like everyone else. After overcoming the initial shock, someone would try again; like the last time, ice-cold water is sprayed, everyone rushes to the corners. At the third attempt, the remaining four monkeys would stop the daredevil and beat him up. At this point the beaten up monkey is removed, the sprinklers shut down, and a new monkey introduced into the room. The new guy walks in, looks at the drenched monkeys, the ladder and BANANAS, and heads towards the ladder not believing that the others are so stupid to let the free lunch pass. As he reaches the ladder, his fate is similar to the one before him, beaten
Post a Comment
Read more