Leadership is T.E.A.W.O.R.K. by Dallas DeFee
(C) 2009
LDR
1
Goals
"This nation should commit to achieving the goal, before this decade is out, of landing a man on the Moon and returning him safely to the Earth." JFK
Goals are powerful motivators for ourselves and others. They come in two varieties, process and outcome. Our sports-minded culture greatly favors outcome goals, such as winning the big game or making a million before a 21st birthday. We often really don't care how we achieve the goal -- the process -- it's the result that matters. Process goals can be very useful in getting started on new or arduous task e.g. "I'll work on the budget for at least 60 minutes over the next week." But process goals can also lose their punch, especially through poor expression. Suppose John Kennedy had said, "This nation should consider planning to spend billions trying to put somebody near a moon and hoping to get the body back."?
"Goals" and "objectives" are synonyms unless you are a hair-splitter, in which case objectives are subgoals on the the path to goal achievement. Goals work well at the personal, team, family and even the national level. But the greater the scope of the goal the greater danger a goal might backfire. Imposing rather than defininginspiring a goal de-motivates. Escalating or de-escalating the goal prior to a clear result breeds cynicism. Finally, team and organizational goals should be a public commitments from the top of the hierarchy; not work plans for the bottom.
Notes on Adaptive Leadership
Leadership is T.E.A.W.O.R.K.
1
Goals
"The greater danger for most of us lies not in setting our aim too high and falling short; but in setting our aim too low, and achieving our mark."
Goals should be G.R.E.A.T. Governing - goals give direction and set priorities. They control behavior, not wishing. Risky - if there's no chance that you'll fail, there's no satisfaction in achievement. Full success should demand full effort. Let your team know that that the goal is more than worth the risk.
Michelangelo
Easily Understood - you need to share your goals with your team and with the larger organization. Who wants to waste time explaining?
"A goal propertly set is halfway reached."
Attainable - never waste your time on a hopelessly remote goal. Climb a nearby hill, then decide if the distant peak is reachable.
Abraham Lincoln
Tangible - can you see and feel it? Tangible is more than just measureable. Let your team imagine what it feels like to accomplish the goal.
by Dallas DeFee
(C) 2009
LDR
Notes on Adaptive Leadership
Leadership is T.E.A.W.O.R.K.
1
W.R.I.T.E. your Team's Goals
Goals
"We become what we imagine ourself to be." Herbert Beerbohn Tree
"No wind favors he who has no destined port." Montaigne
Welcome the challenge of creating a practical plan for achieving your goals. Convince yourself and your team that working on a goal can be fun. It can. Remind yourself and your team constantly of your goals. It is so easy to get distracted. Involve others and make a public commitment. Leaders define the goals for others. Never work on goals exclusively by yourself. Target specific milestones, then give your organization or your team full credit. Having milestones makes goals manageable. Expect success.
by Dallas DeFee
(C) 2009
LDR
Notes on Adaptive Leadership
Leadership is T.E.A.W.O.R.K. by Dallas DeFee
(C) 2009
LDR
1
But what about a detailed list of goals?
Guiding Goals
"My goal is simple. It is the complete understanding of the Universe." Stephen Hawking
Did the great goal-makers of all time, someone like Moses for example, ever bother listing their goals? Can you imagine John Kennedy asking Jackie, "Now where did I put that goal list? I need the one about the moon." Surely Stephen Hawking, the greatest physicist since Einstein, doesn't need a list to get himself motivated and directed. Create a guiding goal and then have others complete the list for you!
My goal
finish goal list Notes on Adaptive Leadership