Goal Setting and Achieving Milestones in your Career

There are two types of people in this world: PASSIVE & ACTIVE

Through my experience and careful observation of thousands of peers and mentees in the pharmaceuticals industry, I've noticed that there is one thing that separates these two groups.

The ACTIVE ones do it regularly while the PASSIVE ones just keep dreaming.

What am I talking about?

Goal Setting!

Goal setting is important for several reasons:

1. Provides direction: Setting goals gives you a clear direction and purpose. It helps you to focus your efforts on what's important and avoid wasting time on things that don't matter.
2. Motivates you: Goals provide motivation and a sense of accomplishment. When you achieve a goal, you feel a sense of satisfaction, which can give you the motivation to work towards your next goal.
3. Increases productivity: By setting specific goals, you can increase your productivity. You can prioritize your tasks and focus on what needs to be done to achieve your goals.
4. Helps measure progress: Goals provide a way to measure progress. You can track your progress towards your goals and adjust your efforts as needed.
5. Encourages accountability: When you set goals, you hold yourself accountable for achieving them. This can help you stay focused and avoid distractions.
6. Builds confidence: Achieving goals can build confidence and self-esteem. It helps you to believe in yourself and your abilities.

In this article, you will learn how to:

1. Find the What and Why
2. How to use the SMART framework for Goal Setting
3. A Tiered Goal Setting Approach

The What and The Why

Setting annual career goals is an important part of career development.?

Aimless career progression is not only impossible but also affects your confidence and mental health in the long run.

Reflect on your current situation: Take some time to reflect on your current job, your skills, your strengths and weaknesses, and your career aspirations.

Define your career goals: Based on your reflection, define your career goals.?

What do you want to achieve in the next year??

Do you want to learn a new skill, take on new responsibilities, or advance to a higher position??

Put it on paper and then move on to the second part of this exercise.

Why do you want to achieve it?

Is it for a higher alignment with your career?

Or is it because of “weak” reasons like everyone is doing it so I want to do it too?

Your WHY has to be strong. It has to be purposeful.

The SMART Framework

Use the SMART framework: The SMART framework is a popular tool for goal setting.

SMART stands for Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound.

?Here's how you can use the SMART framework to set your annual career goals:

• Specific: Make your goals specific and clear. Instead of saying, "I want to improve my communication skills," say, "I want to improve my public speaking skills by attending a public speaking course."
• Measurable: Make your goals measurable so you can track your progress. Instead of saying, "I want to get better at networking," say, "I want to attend at least one networking event per month."
• Achievable: Make sure your goals are achievable. Don't set goals that are too easy or too difficult to achieve. Consider your resources, time, and abilities when setting your goals.
• Relevant: Make sure your goals are relevant to your career aspirations. Don't set goals that are not related to your job or career.
• Time-bound: Set a deadline for your goals. This will help you stay focused and motivated. Instead of saying, "I want to learn a new skill," say, "I want to learn a new skill by the end of the year."

By using the SMART framework, you can set goals that are specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound. This will help you stay focused and motivated throughout the year.

Tiered Goal Setting Approach

A tiered goal-setting approach involves breaking down larger goals into smaller, more manageable goals. Here's an example of a tiered approach to goal setting, using annual, quarterly, and monthly goals:

• Annual Goals: Start by setting your overall goals for the year. These should be bigger-picture goals that you want to achieve over the next 12 months. Make sure they are specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound.
• Quarterly Goals: Once you have your annual goals in place, break them down into quarterly goals. These should be the milestones you need to achieve in order to reach your annual goals. Again, make sure they are specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound.
• Monthly Goals: Finally, break down your quarterly goals into monthly goals. These should be the specific actions you need to take each month in order to reach your quarterly goals.

Here's an example of how this approach might work:

• Annual Goal: Increase sales growth of your pharmaceutical product by 20% this year.

• Quarterly Goals:

1. Q1: Increase sales growth by 5%.
2. Q2: Increase sales growth by an additional 5% (total increase of 10% for the first half of the year).
3. Q3: Increase sales growth by another 5% (total increase of 15% for the year so far).
4. Q4: Increase sales growth by an additional 5% (total increase of 20% for the year).

• Monthly Goals:

1. January: Launch new marketing campaign.
2. February: Attend Medical & Pharma events and network with potential HCPs.
3. March: Offer a promotional discount to increase sales revenues.
4. April: Launch a new product line to attract a new customer segment.
5. May: Focus on increasing customer retention through engagement programs.
6. June: Follow up with HCPs from external events and convert them into customers.
7. July: Offer a summer sale to boost sales.
8. August: Launch a referral program to incentivize customers to bring in new business.
9. September: Host your own company event to strengthen customer engagements.
10. October: Launch a public disease awareness campaign.
11. November: Focus on increasing digital reach through email marketing campaigns.
12. December: Offer year end special deals to increase sales.

By breaking down your goals into smaller, more manageable pieces, you can stay focused and motivated throughout the year, making steady progress towards your bigger-picture goals.

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Whenever you are ready to join the 1% Career Club you can enquire for my mentorship service using this link.