I said last time, that goal achievement matters to management as effectiveness is about working on the right things – achieving the things we’re meant to be working on and the ‘things’ are the goals.

Goal achievement can be elusive - whether that’s a business goal which requires good teamwork from your employees or a personal goal such as gaining a promotion or losing weight.

Achieving your goals can bring satisfaction and fulfilment which leads to more contentment and enhanced wellbeing. Goals give you purpose and direction and help you get more out of life.

Read the upd8 Special Report which explains the top four reasons why we don’t achieve our goals and you’ll soon be achieving more.

http://www.upd8yourlife.co.uk/srtop4.htm

I’m still surprised when I ask this question and the answer is ‘no’ – or a blank stare … you’d think I’d know by now. It seems obvious to me that if goals are written down, then it helps keep you focused and so you are more likely to achieve the goals … but then again, I also know that when we find something obvious and easy ourselves we then assume that everyone else does too.

Yes I have a list of goals – I have a very WISE list which makes me go WOW and laugh when I think about them. I also have my monthly SMART goals – and more often than not, I hit them. That means I’m progressing towards my goals and, very importantly, I know it because I can track progress. If you don’t know about WISE and SMART, you can sign up for my free 5 day mini email course – here.

But so what? Why does this matter to management? Well effectiveness is about working on the right things – achieving the things we’re meant to be working on and the ‘things’ are the goals. Some organisations have monthly deliverables (or monthly outcomes or quarterly targets, etc) – they’re all goals and if goals are being hit then we’re being effective. And that makes us great managers.

To be a more effective manager, do two things:

1. set yourself some WISE and SMART goals
2. agree SMART monthly goals with your team