Goal-setting is a thing so many of us do in 12-month increments. But with the pace of change still swirling around us, do we all deserve a mid-year check-in on how right those goals still feel?
Whether you’re a leader of a team – or just of yourself – let's talk about how it might be worth your while to check in on your goals and determine whether or not they’re still on point?
Modern Mentor is hosted by Rachel Cooke. A transcript is available at Simplecast.
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Hey, it’s Rachel Cooke, your Modern Mentor. I’m the founder of Lead Above Noise—a firm specializing in helping teams and organizations create better working experiences in service of better results.
Right now we’re about halfway through 2023 [pause for gasp] – and I’ve been noticing something in recent conversations with leadership teams. They’re doing the thing we do at midyear – they’re checking in on how they’re progressing against their goals. And they’re noticing that the goals they set in January are, like, not as compelling now as they were then.
You know, the whole “change is the only constant” thing – more and more leaders are recognizing that setting 12-month goals may not be the wisest play anymore.
So whether you’re a leader of a team – or just of yourself – can we talk about how it might be worth your while to check in on your goals and determine whether or not they’re still on point?
They may need a bit of a mid-year reset.
Here’s how you might go about doing it.
Do a priorities-evaluation
Before we look at goals – you know, those specific and measurable things – it really makes sense to step back and ask yourself – what really matters right now? To me, to our customers, to the organization overall?
Like, maybe you lead a team. And in January, one of your priorities was to attract top talent to that team. And you set goals accordingly. Maybe now, however, your company is living in the land of hiring freezes. And talent acquisition is no longer where you’re heading.
Or maybe on a personal front, you were feeling kind of meh about your job in January, and you had prioritized finding a new job. But now, in the economic uncertainty we’re hanging out in, you’re more focused on creating more happiness and opportunity for yourself in your current job.
In both these situations, what felt important in January may feel a little tone-deaf today. And the real question is – right now – who is counting on you to deliver what impact? Make sure that question is serving as your North Star.
Look back at what had been calling out to you in January. And just check in with yourself. If that was where you wanted to be heading 6 months ago, does it still seem like the right and best destination for you and your team? Does focusing on finding your way there still feel wise? And does it excite you?
And equally important, does it feel achievable right now given all of the things swirling around you?
Changing course mid-year is not a sign of failure or a lack of planning. Quite the opposite – it demonstrates your agility, your being tapped into the moment, and your
awareness that times have changed and so too should your priorities and goals.
Maybe at work, your focus right now needs to pivot toward talent retention versus growth. And your goals may need to be reassessed to align with that priority.
So now ask yourself what needs to happen. Do you check in with your boss and re-establish your priorities? Be bold – show up with confidence you’re being thoughtful and proactive.
Don’t apologize for a strategic pivot.
This isn’t a moment of “I’m so ashamed, I thought this priority made sense and now it doesn’t.” Nope – this is a moment of “This was absolutely the right priority when I set it. But I’m paying close attention to our organization or customer base, and I believe now our focus needs to shift from X to Y.”
Sounds good, right?
The same applies to your job searching plans.
Turn revised priorities into specific goals
When it comes to goals, I like to focus on “action” goals – not outcome ones.
Like, when it comes to my business, I may hope for X number of clients or amount of revenue. But I can only influence – and not control – those things. What can I control? The actions I choose to take in support of achieving those things.
I prefer to set goals that reflect commitments – choices I make daily. And I am in full control of whether or not I achieve them.
If you’re working to persuade your boss to focus on customer retention over growth, what goals can you set – what actions can you take – in support of that?
Maybe your goals center around things like:
o Doing regular customer-feedback check-ins with top customers to ensure they are feeling served and supported by your team.
o Inviting your team members to a weekly “customer service roundtable” during which they share their own insights from that week around what’s working well and what might need to shift.
o Doing some external benchmarking and sharing insights with your company around how other organizations are innovating on customer service.
These are action goals. They link directly to your priorities or areas of focus. And you have full control of whether they happen.
If your priority is to chase a new job, maybe your goals become things like:
o Finding out which industries seem most secure in the current economy.
o Deciding which skills you think will make you most appealing to your target hiring leaders, and taking some online courses or getting a certification.
o Doing some casual networking, starting to build a crew of people around you who can make introductions or vouch for your amazingness.
But also. If your choice is to stay put right now because stability feels important – embrace that.
Focus on daily actions
Listen, friends. We are all moving just one day at a time. Making a promise today about what your days in December will look like? That feels like a lot of pressure.
So go easy on yourself.
Maybe you do hope to have a new job by year-end. Focus less on that big giant shift, and instead on the small steps you can take on a daily basis.
Goals should excite you, inspire you. They should not overwhelm you.
OK. Maybe you need your team to do more with less. Hiring is out of the question right now. So what are small actions you can ask of your team each day in service of achieving this outcome?
Can they chunk their work into tiny milestones and shoot you quick, daily updates on what they did?
Can they look at processes or activities they do on the regular and just find tiny spots to simplify or streamline?
Can you cut out just one weekly status meeting and give everyone the gift of an extra hour to accomplish something new?
By taking this approach, you’re always able to see your progress – and theirs. Any time that finish line is feeling too distant, you’ll have a whole swath of daily moments to serve as evidence that you’re moving forward.
Priorities and goals should always be subject to change. What matters and what motivates you or your company will always be evolving. So too should the goals you set for yourself.
Join me next week for another great episode. Until then, visit my website at leadabovenoise.com if your organization is looking to dial up its Employee Experience or deliver some leadership development that activates change. You can follow Modern Mentor on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts. Find and follow me on LinkedIn. Thanks so much for listening and have a successful week.
Modern Mentor is a Quick and Dirty Tips podcast. It's audio-engineered by Dan Feirabend with script editing by Adam Cecil (SEE-sill). Our Podcast and Advertising Operations Specialist is Morgan Christianson. Our Digital Operations Specialist is Holly Hutchings and our marketing and publicity Associate is Davina Tomlin (Duh-VEE-Nuh TOM-lin).