By Debra W. Gould, MS Individuals must set their personal goals. Managers must set team goals. Then all goals must align with the strategic initiatives that the organization has set for the coming year. It all seems like a big hassle, and in many cases, it is. Sometimes it’s a futile exercise that’s not revised until the next year. But it doesn’t have to be.
You need to have a plan of where you want to go, and goal planning serves to help us set the destination as well as the course of action to get there. Setting team goals is an important step in helping the organization reach its next destination. If your company is set on delivering the next generation of distribution technology, then your team goals need to contribute to this journey. But you can’t set team goals in a vacuum—it takes team effort, team involvement and team buy-in. Your role as a manager is to make sure the team understands the organization-wide goals. Your job is also to facilitate the process of defining the team goals. The more you can involve your employees in setting goals for themselves and the group, the more committed to those goals they are likely to be. When writing goals, it’s helpful to keep the following tips in mind:
Debra W. Gould, MS is the president of Debra Gould & Associates, Inc. based in New Orleans and provides management consulting and training services to commercial and government clients. Debra is one of the founders of The Ebony Speakers and co-author of the book, Real Women, Real Issues - Positive Collaborations For Business Success. Debra can be reached at: (504) 244-6576, email: djgould@gouldassoc.com and website: www:gouldassoc.com
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by Michelle Porchia I would like to believe that all of us are passionate about something. As entrepreneurs, we are passionate about our business. As employees, I would hope we are passionate about our work and whatever other passion we may have. As people, I hope we are passionate about life and making a difference in some way. There are times, however, when our passionate fire may be burning us out. The heat may make it difficult for us to see clearly, to be creative or to be productive. Sometimes we don’t believe we have our passion or feel it is waning. There are times we may need to step back, take a break and reevaluate where we are and where we want to go. We need to be still and listen for the inner voice to guide us. There may be times when our passion takes on a different persona or looks a little different than it did at first. Sometimes our passion may grow, change shapes or shift entirely. We need to be open to possibilities and follow what may be a new path. My focus has shifted from predominately staff development to coaching. It does not mean I’ve lost my passion for facilitating workshops and working with staff on their development. It means I use my passion differently and my focus has shifted. A friend of mine is an amazing creative person. She designs/sews, gardens, sculpts, paints, draws, cooks and decorates. She plans amazing trips to Europe and could be a historian. She became a nurse. She also teaches nurses. Over the years, she has done all, some or none of her creative talents. She is an amazing nurse and we could use more nurses like her. My point: this is an amazingly talented woman. At various times in her life she has used her talents, or not. The passion has never died. It comes forth when she is ready to let it in whatever form comes forth. I want to believe our passions don’t die. Sometimes we need to step back and reevaluate where we are and where we are going. Sometimes we just need a break. Be still! |
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