52 Weeks of Planning, Doing, and Tracking - Week 5: GOALS – SMART/Anchored In Vision

Week 5 Focus – GOALS – SMART/Anchored In Vision
Focus Question: As you consider your goals right now, what’s the one most important one that is going to move you towards your vision?

Description
Goals are at the heart of work, and the work we undertake with clients. Goals are also at the core of planning. Why it is important to look at this at when running a business? Goals are central to both planning and trackingGoals and planning:Goals anchor the planning process. An older project management adage is that 10 minutes of planning saves 2 hours of unfocused effort.In particular, goals help us with Focus. Goals help us focus our efforts. In focusing, they help us with distinction on what’s important and what’s not? As a small business, or remote workers, goals help to confirm what is needed for success, and being able to delegate the rest. Goals help us in making decisions and can support shifting fees, services and payments, as we grow a business. Goals also help with prioritizing where we are going to focus our efforts. When we are part of a matrix team, this is critical to understand and know how to support multiple teams.Goals and tracking:Goals also are core to the tracking process. Goals help us:

• Notice where results are really coming from
• Provide Support in terms of where time is being spent. Does your time expenditure align with your goals?
• “If you can measure it, you can manage it” – Rheticus, 1500s. What are you wanting to measure and manage? This might include revenue, cost, resources, time. Note what measures are important for your work.

Research/Story
"Goals help us stretch beyond what we think is possible and provide a yardstick to see how far we've come." - Jennifer Britton

There are multiple frameworks to support coaches around goals. From SMART-E Goals, to what John Whitmore terms PURE GOALS.  The framework I usually introduce to people I work with are SMART-E Goals. As a reminder these are:
S - Specific - What specifically do you want to achieve? What will it look like?
M - Measurable - How can you track progress?
A - Achievable - With some stretch are these achievable?
R - Realistic - Again, with stretch are these in range?
T - Timebound - What's the time frame on this - next week, end of June, early 2015?
E - And most of all, are these goals exciting? If they are not exciting, chances are they might got get done, or may get done only to get them checked off.

Activity
The entire Coaching Business Builder and PlanDoTrack Workbooks are grounded in goal setting, planning and tracking.At the heart of this is the One Page Plan – page 277(CBB)/page 281 (PDT)This week take time to identify your top five goals for the month (or the quarter). As you are considering the goals consider the following questions:1. What's important about this goal? (it may be framed in the big picture? Short term? Long term?)2. What will success look like?3. What outcomes do you want?4. What might get in the way? (or what could be a roadblock?)5. What resources do you need to be successful? (OR What will help you be successful?)6. When you are successful with this, what's possible?Source: https://groupcoaching.blogspot.com/2016/09/six-coaching-questions-around-goals.html (Originally Published September 19, 2016)Be sure to refer to your One Page Plans on a regular basis. Many professionals like to keep them visible and refer to them often, updating them with time. 

Connection to the Workbook and Planner
The One Page Plan can be found at:
Page 277 – Coaching Business Builder
Page 281 - PlanDoTrack

​Download a one-pager to create you own annual analog resource. 

Enjoy!
Jennifer

PS - Share your vision and how you engage with these activities on social media. Use the hashtag #dscam2019 (It stands for Daily Steps + Consistent Action = Momentum)

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Jennifer Britton, MES, PCC, CPT
Author of several books including: PlanDoTrack (2019), Effective Virtual Conversations (2017), Effective Group Coaching (2010)
Potentials Realized  - Specializing in support to virtual and remote teams, leaders and entrepreneurs
Award-winning Coaching Skills Training
Join us for one of our 2019 Annual Coaching Groups - Teams365 Leadership Lab for Virtual Leaders and Team Members or
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