BUSINESS
10 reasons why the journey in business matters more than the destination. By Gry Tømte
Navigating business can often feel like a constant pursuit of never-ending targets, goals, and milestones. The stakes are high, and the expectations even higher. You, as the leaders, are in charge of it all, and responsible for the outcomes. So, in this high-stake business world where there’s often a lot of pressure to “keep smashing your goals”, I wonder if sometimes the journey itself gets lost… I started my coaching business, Profit + Purpose Concept to be able to help business owners not just hit their goals - but also enjoy the process! One thing that always struck me early on in my business career was just how much time I spent focused on hitting set targets and milestone revenue figures (because after all, that’s what the industry said success was….) And just how short lived the success felt when I did! And just how miserable I was in the process. It was like everything was unimportant apart from that momentary high of reaching a goal. But then I realised in one of my moments of refusing to get out of bed for 2 days as I’d missed an “important” goal) that business is actually 95% the journey of getting there - and only 5% celebrating reaching the top… Because there’s always a different goal or milestone we’re striving to reach. Blink and you’ll miss those moments…. Right? So, it got me thinking of the difference between the pursuit of goals vs the pursuit of growth. Let’s look at what the differences are first, and then I’ll give you my opinion on which approach I now take…
The Difference Between Being GoalsFocused and Growth-Focused When we embark on any endeavour, be it leading a business or pursuing personal passions, we’re often confronted with two guiding lights: goals and growth. While both play crucial roles, understanding their unique attributes, especially in the context of leadership in a people first context, is super important! Goals Focused: Being goal focused is like setting a destination
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Beauty Biz Year 16 Issue 5
on your GPS. It provides a clear endpoint. A target to strive for. It provides; Directional Clarity: Goals offer a tangible objective. Just as a lighthouse guides a ship in turbulent weather, goals help steer organisations and individuals towards a defined outcome. Measurability: Goals offer quantifiable metrics of success. Did we reach the sales target? Have we acquired the desired number of new clients? Tangible measures (KPI’s) like these allow for an assessment of short-term accomplishments. Motivation: Goals can serve as potent motivators. They offer a challenge, a mountain to conquer, infusing teams with a sense of purpose and adrenaline. And here’s where things get interesting… Focusing solely on goals can sometimes overshadow the very people who are meant to achieve them. The race to the finish line can become so intense that we forget why we started running in the first place. So, let’s look at how we can change the approach slightly and look at a different perspective…
Growth Focused:
Being growth focused is about the journey more than the destination. It’s taking the scenic route - where every twist and turn, ups and downs, is valued for the lessons they give us access to. Continual Evolution: Growth is not bound by
the rigidity of endpoints. It’s fluid, ever evolving, ensuring that learning and developing new offerings never stops. Embracing Failures: While goals might label setbacks as failures, growth celebrates them as learning opportunities. It’s the difference between saying “We failed” and “We learned.” Nurtures Culture: A growth mindset fosters a culture of curiosity, collaboration, and collective progress. It places people at its heart, valuing their holistic development.
Goals are what we want to achieve, but growth is who we become in the process. Remember, as leaders our role isn’t just to guide our teams to a predefined target (like reaching a $200 average spend per hour) - it’s to inspire, nurture, and elevate them by encouraging selfreflection and a pursuit of constant progress. It’s not just about meeting quarterly numbers or achieving annual targets; it’s about creating an environment where every individual feels seen, heard, and valued. Where the process of striving for a goal enriches us, molds us, and makes us better human beings. In the end, goals are important. They give us direction. But growth? Growth gives us purpose, depth, and a legacy. And when we prioritise people, ensuring their growth and well-being, we’re not just ticking off achievement boxes; we’re crafting stories, stories that will inspire, resonate, and endure.
