The Elite Way to Reach Your Goals

by Brett Gilliland | Aug 28, 2020

If you’re like most small business owners, your goals for this year have been thrown out the window. Or, if not thrown out, at least greatly modified. Because there have been a few x-factors that have dumped the year on its head.

And that’s okay!

Well, it’s not okay. Nothing about this pandemic is okay. But if you needed to modify your goals this year because they simply weren’t possible – that’s okay. You’re doing what’s best for your business.

But what about during “normal” times?

How successful are you and your team at setting and achieving goals?

A survey done by Clutch.co revealed that only 5% of businesses were able to accomplish all of their goals in the last year. While 65% claimed to meet more than half of their goals, 95% of small businesses still fell short.

Because of COVID19, you’re likely in the process of revising your goals. Or, you recently created some new ones.

Today, I’d like to share some ideas for how to successfully create and achieve your goals over the next year.

Set Goals That Are Aligned to Your Purpose, Values, and Mission

At Elite, goal setting is a complex process. Because it’s part of a bigger picture. Specifically, goals are the framework for helping you achieve your VISION.

When we work with entrepreneurs, we help them set their VISION by focusing on:

Their Purpose. Why they do what they do.
Their Values. How they do their work.
Their Mission. What they are up to right now.

It is not until these components are clear that goals (to achieve your Mission) can be created.

Using this system, you get a clear picture of where you’re headed, what you want to achieve, and what behaviors are going to get you there. Without these other pieces in place, the goals you come up with may not give you the outcome you’re hoping to achieve.

What’s the point of accomplishing goals if you end up in the wrong place?

Only Adopt Goals That Have a Clear Path

When your goal is to “build a building”, you will fail. But you already know that. You need to consider specific criteria if you want to make your goals a reality.

These are referred to as SMARTS.

(S)pecific
(M)easureable
(A)chievable
(R)elevant
(T)ime bound

Ambiguity is the enemy of progress. And commitment. Without SMART goals, how do you guarantee that your employees know what’s expected of them? Or that the end result looks like the intended outcome?

Think about the process by which goals are set. Usually it’s you and the upper management (the senior and most experienced members of your team) meeting to discuss your objectives. While these individuals have an inherent understanding of what must be done, they also have to break down their ideas into actionable goals that less experienced employees can complete.

That’s why SMARTs are so valuable. Because they eliminate confusion.

Stretch Your Team But Don’t Break Them

There is an interesting balance that must be maintained with employees. As you can guess, asking them to take on too much leads to unhappiness, burnout, and low productivity.

On the flip side, employees who don’t feel challenged at work are usually unhappy. Leading to less productivity. So you’ve got to constantly be taking employee well-being into account.

In the meantime, adversity is going to happen. Hopefully not another pandemic, but you’re going to experience poor economies, employees quitting, competitors infringing on your space. Those are things that inevitably happen throughout the year. And they may lead to extra effort requirements from you and your team.

Hopefully you and your employees have committed 100% to the goals you want to achieve. So when situations become difficult, you’re willing to push through them. You don’t simply give up because a goal seemed insurmountable at the time.

If you’ve created goals based on your Purpose, Values, and Mission, then a change in even one goal could ultimately mean your VISION changes. Wouldn’t you rather tackle some extra challenges than rethink where you’re headed?

Because your employees will need to stand by you through thick and thin, considering requesting their feedback before making decisions on what goals you need to achieve. Invite them to join in on VISION planning meetings. Make sure they’re as committed to the end results as you are.

Then, when times get tough, you’ll find your employees are willing to take on those challenges with you.

Choose Goals That Excite You (and Your Employees)

Choose goals that excite you. Especially now.

Running and growing a business is already difficult enough without being detached emotionally from your own company. In the same way your employees need to feel motivated, so do you.

When you identify goals that excite you, you’ll know those goals:

Match your Values
Are big enough to stretch you
Are achievable

And will help you better serve the needs of your customers.

Let Us Help You Set Some Goals

This year, while the unknowns remain, um, unknown, flexibility is going to be important. But even in our present circumstances, goal setting is no joke.

I’ve been part of organizations that take weeks to come up with and assign objectives every month, quarter, and year. So I understand that reassessing this year’s goals, letting go of the plans that took you hours to figure out, is painful.

However, as you adapt, as you come up with more realistic goals to pursue, stay mindful. If you keep the Purpose, Values, and Mission in mind, recognize your team’s abilities and limits, and choose tangible, achievable goals that excite you, you can still make the most out of this year.

Need help with your VISION, Purpose, Values, and Mission? We can help. Sign up to speak with one of our coaches today. Or, if you don’t have time to dedicate to a class, you can try our Elite Access online business training.