Development Rule #4 - Great Goals

"A goal without a plan is just a wish." Antoine de Saint-Exupery

One of the most actionable steps we can take to develop ourselves and our careers is to set goals. I’m sure you are well aware of the research proving that by setting a goal, writing it down, and reviewing it regularly you are much more likely to achieve the outcome you seek. Great goals follow 3 important steps;

1) Set Goals regularly

2) Define what actions you can take to help you achieve your goals (the plan)

3) Follow through on the actions

There’s nothing too insightful about this concept yet it’s amazing how hard it can be. We have all set those aspirational goals such as “losing weight” or “getting a promotion” or “building stronger relationships” etc. but without a plan they often don’t go too far. 

A tool that I’ve used regularly over my career is the Rule of 5. This simple concept has you take one of your goals, identify 5 actions you can take every day, and eventually you will achieve the goal. 

This is all well and good but what if you aren’t sure what your goals should be? What if you don’t know what your next career step should be or you’re not sure where to focus your development? It’s actually very common for people and equally frustrating for them because they desire to advance their career but are unsure where to start. When I’m working with someone on their development plan I almost always start with a brainstorming session looking at 4 key areas and from there the goals start to emerge naturally. 

Try this;

On a piece of paper or in a spreadsheet write the following categories as column headers; Strengths, Enjoy Doing, Necessary, and Fatal Flaws.

Now you get to practice Rule #2 - Seek Self, brainstorm and create lists for each of these. Here’s what they mean;

Strengths - Do I have to remind you of what I wrote for Rule #3 - Superb Strengths? ?? List out all the things you are good at, your strengths, or areas of competence. If you’re not sure go back to your last performance review, ask your boss or colleague, or pay attention this week and see if you can figure it out. 

Enjoy Doing - When you last had a “great day” at work what happened? What excites you most when you are at work? What feels good and what is fun? If you’re still stumped and you have a job that provides you some flexibility on the type of work you do, what is it that you spend most of your time doing? Yep, that’s probably because you enjoy it. 

Necessary - Is there is a skill or knowledge required in your current role or aspirational role that you know you must obtain to advance? What are those tasks you procrastinate on the most or try to dodge the best you can? Yep, that’s probably because you don’t enjoy them but if they are required for the role you should focus on these areas. 

Fatal Flaws - While you’ll need to use judgement on how much time you put into those Necessary areas you have to prioritize Fatal Flaws. Not everyone has a fatal flaw but if you have one or more it is critical you identify them and work hard to address them as they will overshadow your strengths. These can be career killers and I’ve seen in on a number of occasions. If you are unaware of a Fatal Flaw the risk of danger is high, like driving in the blindspot...

As I discussed in Rule #3 I recommend spending a majority of your development focus and time on your strengths and what you enjoy doing. You’ll often see overlap between these areas as they tend to correlate and sometimes have a cause and effect impact on each other. 

Once you have your lists built you may see trends, patterns, or areas will likely jump out to you. Prioritize those fatal flaws and key Necessary areas and then focus a lot of your energy on building Superb Strengths. I would recommend focusing on no more than 3 to 5 goals at any given time and 3 to 5 actions you can take for each one. 

Great Goals is all about identifying the right focus areas, specifying an action plan, and following through. If you do this you will grow, you will develop, and you’ll be propelled closer to achieving your career aspirations. 

Eddie the Eagle demonstrates this perfectly

Thanks for reading!

Alan