Its normal we all set goals and having them can help with your productivity. I’ve researched several successful entrepreneurs and found something in common with all of them – they all set monthly goals checking them off as they are completed. Did you know the late Steve Jobs and Bill Gates are prolific goal setters making sure they write everything down in the beginning of the month? Setting these goals is a great way to build motivation as you complete each of them so I recommend everyone to have daily and/or monthly goals. I personally write down everything on a piece of paper in my office clear in front of me so I can see what I need to do for the entire month. It’s amazing and has helped me produce awesome results. However,
I’ve found some people find it hard to manage their goals. I must say it’s much harder to set clear gaols when your working with a team or your psychological state comes in the way. I’ve found there are obvious reasons why goal-setting goes wrong, however the good news you can apply some strategies to fix them.
Let’s get started…
Team Doesn’t Agree
Many times your working with a team completing projects which means you NOT only have convinced yourself, but an entire team to get the job done. However, when you set a goal many of the people don’t agree which will impact the overall performance. This is why it’s so important to be a true leader that NOT only knows how to motivate the entire team, but keeps a steady expectation. I’ve noticed when the team doesn’t respect you they’re not going to follow your expectations and without establishing this your going to have a hard time meeting any objective as a team. Here’s what I suggest going forward…
First, before you can start setting goals it’s important to build a level of commitment with the entire team. Since each individual will affect the outcome it’s important to build 1-on-1 trust with every single one of them. This can be done through coaching, leadership, asking them for feedback and mutual respect. I’ve noticed production is at its highest when there are high levels of mutual respect. Create an atmosphere where each of you rely on one another so you’ve psychological embedded into them all of you are equal.
Just Try Your Best
I know ever since we’ve been young it was common for everyone to tell us to simply try our best. However, in business this can actually shield your creative ability by forcing you NOT to go out of your comfort zone. When we tell ourselves to “try our best†we are limiting what we would do to accomplish our goals. For example, with this mentality we’re simply comfortable reaching level 7/10 and if this doesn’t get us to where we want to go we will simply stop. However, a tweak in this mentality can produce enormous results. For example, some of the MOST successful people have psychologically embedded the following…
- I refuse to lose and give up
- I’m going to make sure I finish this NO matter what
- I’ll do whatever it takes to accomplish this goal
If you say these statements aloud you’ll get motivated and there’s a clear reason why…
Your subconsciously telling yourself you have NO limit and will try whatever it takes to complete this goal. This means if you reach level 7 you’ll simply look for other ways to progress forward. You’ll step outside your comfort zone learning new tricks to achieve whatever it is in front of you.
Simply Unrealistic
Goal setting is very important however you have to be realistic or you’ll fail becoming unmotivated. Sometimes no matter how much you try there is a limit to how much you can do so keep that in your mind. Look back at your previous months so you’ll get a better idea of what you can accomplish and how much time you have to dedicate to your business then set realistic goals. Setting goals simply unachievable will have a negative impact psychologically and de-motivate at the same time.
You Don’t Adjust
When your starting out in business there are going to be times you don’t succeed in whatever your trying to accomplish however this is natural. If you ask any successful businessman they’ve probably failed more times than actually succeeded. However, the factor that distinguishes them from the failures is they tweak settings and try again. Sometimes you won’t achieve your goals and you should critique why so going forward you can make those changes. This applies to you working on your own or even as a team. Keep this in mind…
When things don’t work out always find out why then make those changes going forward. If things don’t work out again then take a step back looking for the factors why and keep trying. Eventually you’ll find a winning combination you can apply to your business going forward.