Research has shown that goal setting, if done correctly, is one of the most supported motivational techniques (Jex & Britt 2008). Setting goals can help you maximize success for yourself and/or the people that you lead. We’ve all heard of the acronym “SMART” that guides good goal setting: Specific Measurable Attainable Realistic Time bound I certainly advocate for following these guidelines with any resolution or goal you set. But there are three things that I want to focus on over the next few weeks that have been shown to be important components of goal setting that are not emphasized as
Hopefully you’ve gotten your 2015 new years resolutions down on paper and have a way to track attainment towards them. Once you’ve done this, I’d encourage you to forget about the goal(s) for 2015 and instead focus on the process that leads to achieving the goals. Why? Focusing on the long-term often leads to paralyses in the short term. For example, if your goal is to lose 100 pounds, this could easily become overwhelming. If you instead focus on a sub-objective towards that goal of limiting your calorie intake to say, 2000 a day and exercising for 30 minutes 5
Do you love kids? Are you a good communicator who has a passion for coaching and developing others? Is organization one of your strengths? If so, then a career as a High School Teacher may be perfect for you. On the other hand, if you don’t enjoy being around children or are interested in an enormous salary, becoming a teacher may not be a good fit for you. High school teachers help prepare students for life after graduation. They teach academic lessons and various skills that students will need to attend college and to enter the job market. Read more
It’s a new year. Have you set your resolutions or goals? Most of us do, but then give up on them by the end of January. One key reason I see people fail at goal setting in the leadership and career coaching we do (and for myself as well) is because we put the cart before the horse. We set a goal and don’t have any method put in place for measuring progress towards it or achievement of it. Maybe a couple of examples will help: 1. I’m so guilty of this, so I’ll use myself as an example first.
As I walk into Micor to talk with their Vice President, Dave Ponegalek, about how they demonstrate passion + productivity = give back in the work that they do, there are signs on every door in the building that say “Thank you Ms. Lydia for your 5 years of service.” When I arrived, I saw “Ms. Lydia” as most affectionately call her, walking over from the other building with a huge cake in her hand. Her anniversary cake. Everyone in the company has been over at the building celebrating her five years of contribution to the company. Although Dave never