Disrupt Goal-Setting Overwhelm with This 3-Step Approach

Goal setting. We know we *should* do it, but it can be overwhelming. 

How many goals? How specific? Am I even focusing around the right things?

Goals give us a direction or north star for where to invest our energy to achieve a specific result. But in the workplace, there can be so many different competing things to focus on that it can be hard to know where to start.

I’m right there with you, and as I thought about the goals that I’ve set for myself or have helped managers in setting for their teams to reach their professional aspirations, three main areas stood out.

Here is a simple 3-part framework for goals you or your teams can get excited about going after:

Career + Visibility + Development

For managers and leaders, sit down with your team to discuss a goal each of your team members have for their career. Maybe it’s getting a promotion, taking on a certain kind of project, or becoming a manager themselves. If you're a non manager, think about what this is for yourself.

This goal will be your anchor. 

Then, set a visibility goal AND a development goal that will pair with the career goal, making the success of the career goal more likely. Think of these goals as the rocket fuel.

For example, if the career goal is to get a promotion in the next 12 months, a visibility goal to pair with it might be to get your work in front of 3 key leaders on the team who are decision makers in the promotion process, or build relationships with 5 colleagues who can amplify your work. 

Last, set the professional development or skill building goal needed to achieve the career goal. For that promotion, perhaps it's taking a course in the local community college to gain a few more technical skills, or joining Toastmasters for 3 months to improve your public speaking.

Together, these three goals demonstrate that you as a manager understand your team members’ career aspirations and how to get there. It shows that you are aware of the importance of visibility and are onboard to ensure they’re getting the right level of recognition for their work, and are intentionally prioritizing and carving out time for development. 

For non-managers, this same framework ensures you have a focused set of goals to talk to your manager about and get their buy-in and support.

And if you're looking for a job, this framework helps you prioritize your time around the most high leverage actions that will help set you apart as a candidate.

Three parts, one goal for each. Career + Visibility + Development.

It’s that simple. 

Want to hear more? Check out my interview on KTVU FOX 2 where we discuss this approach and why it works.

Eager to try this with your teams?

➡️ Grab my free template here: https://www.liagarvin.com/goals