As a leader in any organization, aside from day-to-day objectives and tasks, our job is to analyze the trends and market expectations for our industry in order to set goals for what we would like to achieve annually or even daily.
In other words, we "set the bar" for our teams so that we all know exactly what we are working toward. This means setting longterm and short-term goals that are achievable. Every organization operates differently in how it manages its team and objectives, but if leaders are not setting expectations and making them attainable, I can almost guarantee you are not fully engaging your employees and reaching your full potential as an organization.
As leaders of our organization, we annually develop new objectives for the year, and it guides us to measurable success. As a team, we achieve a considerable amount of progress through this focus. It gives us quantifiable measures to our success and even influences the day-to-day decisions that affect our business operations. These objectives drive us as leaders to push our teams and enable them to make decisions that contribute to attaining those goals.
When it comes to setting goals, be ambitious, but realistic in your expectations. As a leader, you can't set arbitrary goals using unrealistic numbers or trends. Spend time understanding how your organization functions as a whole, evaluate your industry, analyze historical data and then move forward with setting your goals. There's a notorious quote - although delivered differently by nearly everyone -- that follows this general understanding: "What does not get measured does not get addressed." Let's analyze that a little bit more. That general saying, as I am sure many of you have heard, means one main thing: If you do not measure the work you are doing, setting goals in specific areas, whether they are sales, marketing or operational goals, those achievements or expectations will not be addressed. In business, long-term objectives can vary from customer service, employee retention, efficiency, growth and profitability, to name a few examples.
There's a well-known quote from Zig Ziglar, an American author, salesman and motivational speaker, "A goal properly set is halfway reached." Ziglar is seemingly saying that just by committing to setting a goal, you are on a more definite path for achieving that goal.
Spending considerable time developing long-term and short-term goals is critical to success.
Setting goals has an incredible amount of importance to centering your team and pushing them to achieve those objectives. Think for a moment about the motions that each of us go through every single day: waking up, having coffee, heading to the office and finally sitting down at our desks. When we finally get our technology up and running, we have to know where we are headed or what our objectives are for the day, or else we would never accomplish anything. Those thoughts you have when trying to decide which direction to head are the same thoughts that your team members have, but theirs are focused on their role on your team. Giving them direction helps them actively manage their day and guides their decision making in every function of their job. As individuals, we all thrive personally and are far more productive when we have a sense of purpose.
Goals do much more than just serve as a benchmark for company objectives. They provide a tangible purpose for fulfilling your work and job. Rather than aimlessly going through the motions every day, you can tangibly measure your idea of success. In any business or organization, the leader's job is to create the "North Star" for everyone. The goals and objectives you create are guides for achieving organizational success. In short, setting these goals elevates the overall success of your business. It's important to remember that "what gets measured gets done." Remember that organizational success begins with strong leadership. As a leader, set the goals and orient your organization to head in the right direction for success.
For more information, visit www.gopherindustrial.com or call (800) 997-3177.