Have you set any goals lately?
From the time we are school aged we are taught to set goals and measure our progress as we achieve them. We take time at the beginning of every year to take stock of our situation and set resolutions for the future. But how often do we follow through on those resolutions? One reason that our goals often fall through the cracks is that we are not clearly intentional when we set them, which can create problems when it comes to putting our objectives into practice.
As leaders in the workplace, whether we are business owners, supervisors, or team leaders, we are likely setting goals to improve the working environment at our company and help our organization grow. The key to setting achievable goals boils down to one crucial thing: clarity.
James Clear says in his book Atomic Habits that, “Most people think they lack motivation when they really lack clarity.”
Sometimes it is easy to envision the outcomes that we want from a team or a project, but it can be hard to communicate those desires effectively, or even quantify what needs to happen to get there. Sometimes meaning and intention get lost, but with clear planning and communication, you can transform your working environment and create space for achieving goals with expediency and purpose.
Use these three strategies to encourage clarity in your workplace:
Remember your why: It is easy to set goals, but it is even more important to remember why you’re setting them. Why do you want to accomplish that task? Why is that milestone vital to your project? Why are those weekly meetings valuable? Answering the question of why will help you maintain clarity of purpose and keep you on track to achieve your intentions.
Have a clear vision: As a leader it’s useful to check in with yourself regularly and ask whether current projects and practices align with your vision and values. For the next-level leaders I work with this is one of the most effective actions they take. It clarifies to both themselves and their team what they’re working on, why they're working on it, and how they’re going to take action to accomplish their goals as a team. Active participation in your vision from team members creates stronger cohesion and buy-in, creating a stronger sense of team wellbeing and of course, better output.
Spend time on the people: this includes yourself. It can be easy sometimes to set aside the human element of the workplace, especially when our culture focuses so heavily on results. One way to think about it is to focus just as much on the ‘how’ you do something as the ‘what’ you’re doing. Being clear on your values as well as your company's values can foster a culture that is not just productive but thriving. It makes your organization both valuable to clients and desirable to employees, increasing both output and employee retention. This type of clarity in the workplace bolsters a sense of community and makes it easier to continue implementing the strategies you have already put in place. A simple exercise you can do with your team is to complete a values exercise.. This is something we’ve found to be a really useful step to feeling connected as a team, recognizing individual strengths, at the same time as ensuring employees feel seen, heard and valued.
Start with clarity and the rest will follow.
So how will you start? What are you going to do to create clarity in your workplace and achieve your goals?