Goal transparency, or having specific, written and measurable outcomes that we are working toward, is such an important part of sales success and productivity. After your goals are written, movement toward achieving them is a goal in itself.
Many people think that identifying the goals is the hard part. This is because they think that once they set a goal, its set in stone and needs to be done as originally outlined. Not true! Every day brings new considerations that may affect the goal itself or the path to reaching it. That is why an effective goal process includes actions that let you adjust your priorities, your plans to achieve goals and time frames.
The following process – the 4 R process for goal transparency – will help you set reasonable and realistic goals that you will achieve.
- Set your goals.
- Keep your goals visible, not tucked away in a notebook or a drawer.
- Determine how often you will review your progress, and then:
- Review: Read your goals and the plan to achieve them. Are you on track? Then move to Renew. Not on track? Revise or Recycle.
- Renew: Recommit yourself to the goal and the time frame. Consciously think through the next steps and how you will feel when the goal is accomplished.
- Revise: If the situation has changed, revise your goal as needed. Maybe the timing is off, or the outcome needs to be edited or the people involved have changed. It’s okay to make those revisions, and then you have a realistic goal based on today’s criteria.
- Recycle: Yes, recycle. Just because a goal made sense earlier doesn’t mean it still does. It’s okay to remove a goal from your priorities and replace it with one that is more meaningful.
4. Share your goals and progress or frustration with a stakeholder. Maybe they will help you get clarity on some of your goals like my colleague did for me.
It’s important to remember that it’s okay to revise or replace goals when it makes sense. For example, I had been told that to succeed in business I needed to learn how to golf, so it became a goal of mine. After three years I hadn’t made any progress and I kept beating myself up about it. A colleague of mine pointed out that I seemed to be doing fine in business and maybe the goal to learn how to golf wasn’t really that important to me. Once I realized that, I recycled that goal and focused my energy on more important things.
What is your process for achieving your goals? Let us know in the Comments section.
———————————————————————————————————-
Top performing and top producing sales managers whose sellers meet sales quotas consistently conduct Field Ride Alongs, One-on-One Coaching and Sales Meetings to build skill and will. Clone yourself for some one-on one-coaching or own the latest done-for-you sales training with these special offers only available here.
