Three Reasons Why You Should Set Actionable Goals

Three Reasons Why You Should Set Actionable Goals

Goal setting is an essential pillar of any successful undertaking. Without clear and intentional goals at every level, teams are unlikely to achieve their full potential. A Harvard Business School study found that, at the individual level, only 14% of people had clearly defined goals. What’s remarkable is that those individuals who set goals were 10 times more successful than people who didn’t have clearly defined goals.

A similar study found that it takes more than just creating goals to actually achieve them. This research found that people who wrote down their goals and revisited them regularly were much more likely to achieve them. For example:

• People who wrote down their goals were 42% more likely to achieve them than those who just formulated them in their head,

• People who went on to formulate action commitments and verbalized them to a supportive friend were 50% more likely to achieve their goals, and

• People who gave that friend regular status updates were 78% more likely to achieve them.

This demonstrates what we all know intuitively: that the more we keep goals top of mind, the more likely we are to achieve them. So why is goal setting so powerful? There are quite a few reasons, but most importantly, goal setting creates focus, it drives alignment and it provides clarity.

1. Goal Setting Creates Focus

Goals help leadership communicate what’s important in order to provide clear criteria for prioritization. At the individual level, setting goals helps to filter out what doesn’t matter so people can focus on the things that do. Employees will consciously and unconsciously be set up to prioritize things that drive progress towards both personal and professional goals with less time and effort.

TIP: Keep your goals somewhere visible in your workspace, either physically (like posting them on the wall) or digitally (like creating a goals page for your team in Notion or AirTable or importing them into a project management system like 15Five or Lattice). Having a constant reminder of your goals can help you maintain your focus in order to achieve them.

2. Goal Setting Drives Alignment

Goals drive alignment in all directions, especially when you cascade goals from the company to the individual level. Creating clear goals helps to synchronize each person’s priorities with company priorities and align individual effort with team effort. At the individual level, goals help us filter our priorities to align our daily tasks with our long-term priorities, keeping us on track.

TIP: Define a regular goal-setting rhythm that starts with top line company goals. How often will you set goals? (We recommend quarterly.) Create cascading goals by outlining organizational goals first, and then creating departmental and individual goals that support them. This keeps everyone moving in the right direction and ensures that each goal supports the strategic priorities of the entire company.

3. Goal Setting Provides Clarity

Setting effective goals can also help individuals answer the most fundamental questions about their job like, “What does success look like in my role?” and “What do I need to prioritize?” Goal setting gives employees the opportunity to revisit these fundamental questions on a regular basis to seek the clarity that they crave. The more clarity you can provide, the more you’ll set up your employees for success. Providing clarity empowers your employee to make decisions without as much oversight and to prioritize the right work to make progress.

TIP: Determine a goal setting framework that works best for your organization. The most common frameworks are OKRs and SMART goals. You can enculturate this goal setting framework across your organization by modeling it at all levels.

If you don’t have clearly defined goals, it’s never too late to start! Set yourself up for success by starting with a few short-term goals (we recommend three) at a time so you can focus your time and attention on what matters most. If your team is looking to get set up your goal setting process, we’re here to help. You can schedule a free consult here.