Leaders Write Effective Goals and Help Others

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You don’t have to look too far to find information on how to write SMART goals.

But sometimes, that 5-step rubric can intimidate, or push us in the wrong direction.

Another great way to write effective goals is to ensure that just two important elements are included:

1) Specific actions.

2) Timelines and/or deadlines.

For example –

Let’s say I’ve been grumpy, and have been missing deadlines. I’d better change!

Three approaches – in order of effectiveness:

Avoid: “I’m going to be less casual about deadlines, and more positive about our work.”
Better: “This month, I’m going to get the TPS reports in on Thursday, and start saying more positive things about my team.”
Best: “On Thursdays, I will turn my TPS reports in 1 hour early. This trigger will remind me to find one positive goings-on to mention to at least 2 people. I will do this each week for a month, then come up with a new goal to make a habit of.”

It’s much easier for others to hold you accountable to the third approach. And, the use of triggers can really help.

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