Goals & Controls – A Summary

Business is like marketing warfare.  And someone needs to step-up and propose a strategy.

 

Someone needs to bring forth a strategy that brings success and victory.

And it needs to be the right strategy.

That someone is you, the leader.

Among the successful organizations that I have observed, I have found a pattern of basics in them:

• Clear, stretching goals

• “Can-do” atmosphere

• People who have a high sense of urgency

• Skills to implement plan-oriented actions, and

• Ability to achieve dependable results

I’ve been writing in recent previous blog posts about goals and controls.

What are goals and controls?

Goals –

Achievement and recognition for achievement are two of the best motivators around.  The goals of individuals and the group must be clearly defined, understood and, to be fully beneficial, accepted as reasonable.

They must be specific and vital, measurable, achievable but challenging, results oriented, and time-bound.

Controls –

Organizations are formed to get results.  People are hired to get results.  And supervisors and managers are recruited to get results and to assist others to getting results.

Once the processes for establishing goals are done, then the process of following-up and following-through on the tactical projects and goals are needed.

This requires…

• Frequent and regular communication reporting on the progress of those tactical projects and goals.

• Intentional communication to ensure alignment of your people’s progress on objectives/strategies with your Values, Purpose, Vision, and Super-Objectives

Insight: The way leaders approach goals and controls is as important as the goals and controls themselves.

Here’s a list of the blog posts that I’ve written about goals and controls:

Goals –

What Can Albert Einstein Teach Us About Leadership?

An emotional story about Albert Einstein feverishly looking for his lost train ticket underscores our need to know where we are going. And, every leader can gain a clear understanding of where they are going by avoiding ambiguous goals.

 

Are You a Lone Ranger When Setting Goals?

There is a big difference between the goals that a leader sets for his or her team, and the goals that the team actively participates in setting.  I learned that lesson the hard way!

Discover three questions that will help you set motivating goals for your people (and keep the Lone Ranger out of your leadership goal setting mindset)!

 

Is Goal Setting Top-Down or Bottom-Up?  (The answer may surprise you) 

Leaders in pursuit of peak-performance teams have learned that how goals are determined are as important as the clarity of the goals themselves. Learn the five benefits of team goal setting.

 

Goals Have Different Meaning to Different People

It is amazing how different people think of the word “goals” in different ways.  Understand what a goal is (and what is not), and how I defined goals in our company.

 

Do You Have These 4 Key Leadership Qualities?

Every building project starts with a firm foundation.   Likewise, every effective leader possesses these four leadership qualities.   Read about how trust, connection, empowerment and navigation are necessary in order to become a leader of influence.

 

Every Leader Needs a Vision Statement – Here’s Where to Start

Any significant endeavor requires preparation.  And the vision statement for your organization is certainly significant!  Discover what to ask, how to connect and what to analyze as you prepare to draft your own vision statement.

 

Leaders: Cast Your Vision in 3 Simple Steps

The journey toward your destiny always begins with a vision. Vision is the roadmap to your destiny, the picture of your purpose.   Learn about the three simple steps to take in order to cast your vision as a leader.

 

Two Guiding Objectives for Every Business

Every leader can successfully achieve the organization’s goals by championing these two guiding objectives, which I call “Super–Objectives”.  See how I reduced all of our business’s objectives down to two, delighting customers and increasing operating profits.

 

Are the People You Lead Laying Bricks or Building Cathedrals?

Strategic and tactical plans are fundamental to the success of any organization. When we set our strategy, we ask, “What do we want to accomplish? And why?”  Next, we establish our tactical plans by asking “How can we get there?”.

 

How to Set Performance Goals That Motivate and Inspire

Over 20 years ago in our moving and storage business, I experienced the true significance of setting measurable performance goals.  And I discovered the key to setting performance goals that truly motivate and inspire!

 

How Anyone Can Identify Cause and Effect

Knowing the difference between cause and effect is a BIG deal! Most often, our attention gets drawn to the effects, and we have to dig a little deeper to get to the cause. Read about the four criteria for determining if something is a cause or an effect.

 

Leaders Must Distinguish Symptoms vs. the Root Cause

Read about how complaints from customers led to our startling discovery of the root cause.  Learn how to use measurable goals and feedback to un-emotionally highlight problems and motivate those involved to provide the solutions!

 

Controls –

How Business Reviews Can Help Leaders Achieve Better Results

As leaders, we are constantly looking for tools and techniques that enable us to better lead and manage our people.  Discover how every leader can use Business Reviews to successfully achieve their organizational goals.

 

7 Communication Opportunities For Every Leader

Successful leaders consistently provide meaningful communication to their people.  Read about the seven communication opportunities available to every leader.

 

Clearly, goals are necessary if we are to reach our full potential.  How we think about goals, set them, and monitor our progress (controls) toward them is vitally important.

Do you want your organization to achieve more?  If so, then the ideas discussed above can serve as your launchpad to greater success!

How do you set and use goals in your business? How do you monitor your progress as you work toward your goals? Please share your comments <here> and share this blog post with a co-worker and friend.