In addition to daily goals, I set three bigger weekly goals that I want to accomplish. I usually set aside a specific time that I can reflect on the previous week and then set my top three things that I want to accomplish for the upcoming week.
This has been a particularly busy couple of weeks for me. And I’m embarrassed to say that I didn’t spend as much time as I should have, or be as intentional as I should have, on setting my goals for this past week.
I knew I wanted to focus on some healthier eating habits, but was in a hurry and didn’t take the time to think through what that would look like. Instead, I simply wrote “eat healthier breakfasts” as one of my weekly goals.
So, guess what happened? When it came time to reflect on the past week, I had no idea whether or not I had accomplished my goal. Did that granola bar I grabbed as I ran out the door on Tuesday count as a “healthier breakfast”? And “healthier” than what?
How do you know if you have accomplished your goals? Let’s dive into 3 strategies to make sure that you do know.
As an HR Professional, You Should Know – What is a Goal?
As I’m sure you can imagine, “goals” are a huge topic and we could spend days talking about them. So today we’re going to simply touch on just one small tip of the goal iceberg.
I love working with HR professionals to set both personal and professional goals. So feel free to reach out to me when you are ready to dive in deeper.
Let’s start with the basics. What exactly is a goal?
A goal is an objective designed around specific criteria that you set for yourself or your organization. It serves as a clear target to work toward, whether that’s enhancing team performance, improving employee engagement, or even personal development.
Goals help to clarify your vision and provide direction for your efforts. And goals aren’t simply for work. You should be setting goals for yourself personally too.
Why Set HR and Personal Goals?
Now that we understand what a goal is, let’s dive into why setting goals is crucial, especially in the realm of human resources.
- Focus and Direction:
Setting goals gives you a clear path to follow. In HR, this means aligning your strategies with the overall mission of your organization. It helps prioritize initiatives that will drive meaningful change.
- Motivation and Accountability:
Goals can ignite motivation. They encourage you and your team to strive for excellence. When everyone is aware of their objectives, it fosters a sense of accountability, creating a culture of achievement.
- Measurement of Success:
Finally, having well-defined goals allows you to measure progress. Without goals, it’s challenging to assess what’s working and what isn’t. Goals provide benchmarks for evaluating your performance.
3 Ways to Know Whether You Accomplished Your HR or Personal Goals
As you think about using goals in order to measure success, we have to know when, and if, you have met your goal. So, let’s talk about 3 ways to know whether or not you’ve accomplished your goals.
- SMARTER Criteria:
The first step involves writing your goals correctly. You may have heard of SMART goals. I like to take it one step further and use SMARTER goals. The SMARTER goals framework was developed by Michael Hyatt at Full Focus.
It’s critical that your goal is Specific, Measurable, Actionable, Risky, Time Bound, Exciting and Relevant. When you assess your goals against these criteria, it helps clarify whether you’ve truly achieved what you set out to do.
For example, if your goal was to improve employee engagement, ask yourself: Was it specific enough? Did you measure the results? Was it achievable within the timeframe?
- Tracking and Reflection:
I mentioned that I have a practice each week of reflecting back on the past week and then being intentional about the upcoming week. Keep track throughout your goal-setting journey. Regularly jot down your progress, challenges, and insights.
At the end of your timeline, revisit your entries. This will not only help you see how far you’ve come but also highlight any lessons learned, which is just as important as achieving the goal itself.
- Feedback Mechanisms:
Lastly, engage your team and stakeholders by seeking feedback. This could be through surveys, one-on-one conversations, or team meetings.
Ask them how they perceive the changes and whether they feel the goals were met. Their insights can provide a well-rounded view of your success and areas for improvement.
Your challenge this week is to set a SMARTER Goal:
Identify one specific area of your work or personal development that you’d like to improve. Create a SMARTER goal around it—make it Specific, Measurable, Actionable, Risky, Time-bound, Exciting and Relevant. Share your goal with a colleague or mentor for accountability.
Reflect Daily: Dedicate 5-10 minutes each day to reflect on your progress toward your goal. Write down what you accomplished, any challenges you faced, and how you felt about your efforts. This practice will help you stay focused and identify areas for improvement.
Seek Feedback: Ask for feedback on a project or initiative you’re working on. Approach a trusted colleague or team member and invite their honest thoughts. Use this feedback to adjust your approach and refine your goals, fostering a culture of collaboration and continuous improvement.
Remember, goals are vital for creating focus and direction in your professional journey. They motivate you and help measure your success. By utilizing the SMARTER criteria, reflective journaling, and feedback mechanisms, you can confidently assess whether you’ve achieved your goals.
