Smart business owners are those who look ahead. The minutia of day-to-day business life doesn’t burden CEOs, managers and other leaders. They are focused on big picture issues that impact the longevity of their business. By setting goals for both themselves and their companies, managers can energize their staff, motivate employees and inspire clients.
Setting goals sounds simple, but it really is one of the most complicated tasks an executive has. It’s also one of the most important. Setting goals will help you and your staff make decisions that steer your business in the right direction. At Pascoe Workforce Solutions, we know that in order to set achievable goals businesses have to go in with eyes wide open. Here are a few of our most successful tips to help you plan, prepare and, ultimately, prosper.
Develop Quantifiable Goals
Your goal needs to be worth the effort. You need to know what you want to achieve and how to measure that success. Plans are easier to commit to when success can be defined at each stage. That being said, consistency is just as important as commitment. Quantifying your goals means being as specific and detailed as possible so that you can truly understand how to amplify your overall success.
Design Achievable Plans
If you’re 95 percent certain you’ll achieve success, can you really call it a goal? Of course! Setting goals you are confident your staff can achieve is essential to keeping morale high, boosting productivity and encouraging collaboration. It shows that you know your team is capable of consistently doing something right.
Create Flexible Workforce Goals
Setting goals that help streamline your workforce and boost productivity will improve your bottom line and keep your employees motivated. By looking ahead at projects you know you’ll get as well as ones you hope to obtain, you can plan for hiring new positions, bringing in temporary talent or outsourcing duties such as payroll and HR to a staffing partner.
Challenge Your Employees and Yourself
You also need to set goals that you are 95 percent uncertain you will achieve. Taking risks and succeeding is how businesses grow. It’s how Google moved out of a garage and onto a Fortune 500 list. More often than not, challenging goals are more likely to be achieved when plotted out with mini-goals. Each step toward a goal is a milestone to be celebrated.
Keep the List Realistic
This tip is really important when working toward challenging goals. Dreaming big, but staying realistic means that you set your sights on something just a few inches beyond your grasp, not a few feet. Staying realistic doesn’t just deal with the goal itself, but also how much time you need to achieve it. For example, gaining a hundred new clients may be unrealistic for the year, but it might fit perfectly in a 5-year plan.
Defining and setting achievable goals is essential to propelling your business, no matter the industry. While it may seem daunting at first, don’t worry; you don’t have to do it alone. Sometimes bringing in an outside perspective can guide you toward a more profitable future. If you need creative staffing ideas that work, call Pascoe Workforce Solutions. We give you access to top talent, payroll services and industry experience that help you achieve your goals.