“We say we hate goals…unless…we’ve successfully completed them.” Jeannette Seibly
Do you know only about 8% of the business people who created goals for 2018 are on track to complete them?
The other 92% are busy creating excuses. Some of the excuses are really good ones. I often hear them justifying their lack of actions with: “I’ve forgotten what my goals are.” OR “My boss hasn’t asked about them, so they must not be important.”
Some even take the easy way out and change the goal. This is not recommended since doubt will seep into how you see and speak about yourself. Others will stop trusting you to do what you’ve said you would do. Company leaders will overlook you for promotions, new opportunities and pay increases.
So, why don’t more people successfully complete their goals?
First, we must ask why completing goals are important.
Goals provide leaders and employees with opportunities to grow. They engage employees and customers, and impact the bottom line. Also, successful completion builds self-confidence and the ability to trust yourself.
Tips to Move You Forward to Success!
1.Acknowledgment and Acceptance. These may sound like odd tips. Yet, acknowledging and accepting the value of goal design and implementation is rewarding. The experiential skills learned are invaluable to career, managerial and leadership growth.
Let go of the reasons why you hate goals:
- -I/we failed last time. (Resilience requires acknowledging failures, learning from mistakes and moving forward.)
- -I/we lack the resources required. (Taking initiative and becoming resourceful provide amazing results, while building confidence.)
- -Teams are too difficult to manage. (Make a commitment to transform the so-so team into a stellar one.)
2.Hire an Executive/Team Coach. There are less than two months remaining to fulfill your goals. At this point, it’s imperative to bring in a set of “objective eyes.” Having an outside person review the goal and action steps will focus the team on “what’s next.” Also, the right coach will encourage the team to blast through perceived barriers.
3.Train Everyone to Be an Effective Team Member in Meetings. Most meetings are boring! Many team members check out; and, as a result, will not bring forth their best efforts to achieve the goal. What are you doing to train yourself and your team(s) to be effective team members? And, conduct productive meetings? There is still time this year to get the training to successfully complete your 2018 goals.
4.Develop Persuasive Listening Skills … These Are a Must. Listening to differing POVS, building win-win outcomes and brainstorming solutions create better results. Using these skills will bolster the team’s morale and keep everyone on track.
Questions to ask yourself and the team when the project has stalled:
- -What are you refusing to hear? Why?
- -What does each team member need to say?
- -What is the benefit of giving up so soon?
- -What are the costs of not completing the goal?
- -How can the team get back into focused action and make a positive difference?
If you are truly committed to the fulfillment of your 2018 goals, take these four tips and get into action. Join the elite 8% to have a successful 2018.
©Jeannette Seibly, 2018
Jeannette Seibly has been recognized as a catalyst and leadership expert for the past 26 years. As an executive coach, speaker, and author, she provides straight talk with dynamic results. There is still time to complete your 2018 goals. Waiting is no longer an option. Hire “objective eyes” to help you determine what needs to be done to have a successful 2018. Contact Jeannette for a preliminary confidential conversation. Do it now.