Growth In The Face of Disruption: Making Space For Measurable Goals in 2021

Shift your perspective on the way business should continue into 2021. Today, it’s time to release “crisis mode” and clear a path toward meaningful, measurable growth.

2020 was the year that business got personal. 42% of the labor force in the U.S. worked from home. Desks at dining room tables, video calls interrupted by toddlers, and deeper glimpses into each other's personal lives than what was once considered "professional."

Change necessitates adaption. But for c-suite executives searching for new metrics for success in unprecedented times, it begs the question - is adaptation growth? 

How Do You Set Growth-Oriented Goals in Today’s Workplace?

The first key to setting growth-oriented goals is clarity of vision. Even when the finish line feels like a moving target, you can't set a goal based on vague terms. A poorly defined goal is one you’ll never reach.

True clarity comes from knowing the “what, how, and why” of every single outcome you’re working toward in a given moment. Clarity is a master key to taking productive steps toward any kind of growth.

This clarity is not inherently subject to change and can cut through any cloud of uncertainty in any season of life. Whether your business was deeply impacted by supply chain disruptions, stock market fluctuations or any other marketplace dynamic, clarity is a beacon that keeps you on course.

Even when the finish line feels like a moving target, you can't set a goal based on vague terms.

Organizational clarity drives organizational success: according to an in-depth survey of cross-sector companies in six countries, organizational clarity is strongly correlated to performance and is a leading indicator of future performance. Understanding archetypes, workforce interests, perceptions and biases is essential for leaders who wish to lead with clarity.

Leaders with clarity make the right strategic decisions: in an interview with Forbes, Brad Deutser (author of the book Leading Clarity) says, “Simply put, clarity is the process that helps leaders navigate the constant change and chaos they are faced with daily. The process provides a reliable and replicable framework from which to lead and operate. Clarity becomes the leader’s antidote to change—it grounds the organization with a shared belief system, cultural framework, and strategic direction.”

How To Reset Your Perspective Post - "Crisis Mode"

If the context for growth this year was one of urgency, reaction and a lack of clarity, it’s important to step back and regain perspective. Time to leave that externally imposed timeline and get real with yourself. 

This past year has amplified one of the deadliest habits of your professional life: core distractions. True clarity and perspective are only revived when you shut out everything that clamors for your attention and get back to missional activities. 

Your growth goals aren’t going to achieve themselves. And while we all have valid reasons for doing less or showing up with less, there is ample evidence that these are excuses, rather than legitimate barriers to growth.

It IS Possible To Find Growth In The Face of Disruption.

If the unknown has settled in like a fog, picture me reaching through your phone or computer to give you an in-person wake up call. It's time to lift the fog.

Here are some key reflections I urge you to spend some time with. From my experience, defining these areas goes a long way in helping you set achievable, measurable goals. Journal, meditate, just sit with yourself and answer these questions as openly and honestly as you can. Feel the fog begin the lift and dissipate.

• When I think about the next decade, what do I want my life to look like?
• How do I want to spend my days?
• How do I want to serve the world?
• How do I want to serve with my skills and talents?
• Why is this important to me?
• How will my life improve once I achieve this?
• What do I need to implement to stay on track?

You deserve to experience the gratification of accomplished goals. It is an innately human feeling to want to check things off of your list, to savor that sense of accomplishment. Setting your sights on the best that this year can bring is the clear minded approach you need for professional and personal fulfillment.