How to Use Powerful Goals to Ignite Your Business

12 Steps to Business Transformation – Step 5

Over the last four weeks, I introduced my Ebook 12 Steps to Business Transformation and I defined the first 4 of the 12 transformational steps. This week we are going to talk about Goals.

Defining the Goals for your business is step 5 in my new Ebook “12 Steps to Business Transformation.”

Goals take the business strategy and break it down into digestible steps. Clearly defined Goals allow the organization to focus on the most important aspects of the company strategy at the most important points in time.

By establishing and achieving SMART Goals, you are executing the strategy which will move you closer to your mission and ultimately your vision. Powerful goals aligned with your strategy will ignite your business!

12 Steps to Business Transformation

12 Steps to Business Transformation is founded on a simple business model and describes the 12 steps required to implement and execute on the model. The whole model is summarized in the Thinking Business Blueprint shown below. And, as mentioned above, the fifth step in the Blueprint is to build SMART Goals.

thinking-business-blueprint

 

I have written about SMART Goals, how they are defined, how they are measured and their importance to an organization in the following articles:

Go ahead and spend some time and review these articles so that you clearly understand all aspects of setting SMART Goals.

Why Are Goals Necessary?

As I mentioned in my previous post about Business Strategy, a strategy must be put into action for it to be effective. One of the best ways to put strategy into action is to build SMART Goals that are defined in a way that systematically delivers on the Business Strategy.

SMART Goals are Necessary Because They:

  1. Clearly define what the organization needs to do.
  2. Allow the staff to measure progress against the strategy which builds positive momentum inside the organization.
  3. Provide a simple and powerful way to communicate the strategy to the organization.
  4. Provide a clear line of site between what the employees are being asked to do and how these actions impact the Business Strategy and contribute to the Mission and Vision.
  5. Break the larger strategy into smaller “bite-sized” portions so staff are not overwhelmed.
  6. Provide a clear path to achieving the strategy within the defined timelines.
  7. Assign an owner to specific portions of the strategy and this owner is accountable for the goals completion.

With SMART goals, you clearly define how employees are to achieve the Strategy, Mission and Vision of the organization. This state of alignment is a powerful position to be in! Without SMART Goals that are broken down to systematically deliver the Business Strategy, you just have a nicely written strategy but no clear way to deliver on it.

Spend some time this week and break your Business Strategy into SMART Goals and communicate this to your organization. Monitor your progress against these goals, make tweaks and adjustments as required, and ignite your business!

 

Where many people go wrong in trying to reach their goals is in constantly looking for the big hit, the home run, the magic answer that suddenly transforms their dreams into reality. The problem is that the big hit never comes without a great deal of little hits first. Success in most things comes not from some gigantic stroke of fate, but from simple, incremental progress.” Andrew Wood

 

Leave a comment below on your organization’s SMART goals.

 

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Download a free copy of my new Ebook: 12 Steps to Business Transformation

 

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2 thoughts on “How to Use Powerful Goals to Ignite Your Business

  1. Hi David,

    In thinking about SMART goals, I am advocating for an additional R to be added. In so many cultures, including North American business culture, the R of Relationship is key to goals being met. Who will you achieve your goals with? What team is necessary to link with? Which stakeholders will help you achieve your vision?

    Thoughts?