Do You Know How To Be Subjectively Successful?
We spend a lot of blog space discussing business growth and success. Sometimes we fail to remind our readers that success is defined subjectively. Some business owners may see success as the ability to hit a certain profitability milestone or revenue growth. Others may define it as acquiring a complementary business or selling their business- after all, they built something that someone else sees value in. And still others can find that business success is tied to flexibility and time with family.
Most people want to feel like they have won at business (and life, for that matter). But do they know what winning looks like? It’s important to clearly outline what that professional and company success looks like because it becomes tied to your decisions and actions. However you define success, that description becomes a key piece of the foundation for building short-term and long-term professional and company goals…
OK now that you have your definition of success CLEARLY and CONCISELY characterized, it’s time to build goals to get you there. Most professionals know what goals are, but don’t know how to create a roadmap to reach them.
In order to reach your goals and, therefore, be subjectively successful, goals must:
Be Specific– Be as clear as possible. It isn’t enough to say, “my goal is to grow revenue.” Try something like, “my goal for 2019 is to grow revenue by 20% over 2018 and maintain a minimum 15% profit margin.” Oh, and write the goals down!
Be Measurable– Using the example above, what metrics and reporting functions have to be in place for you to measure the appropriate data throughout the year?
Be Realistic– If your goal is not attainable, it shouldn’t be a goal. Goals can be challenging- they don’t always shave to be a slam dunk. But if your goal is not able to be achieved, you and your team will not be motivated to keep working toward it. De-motivation is toxic for any company.
Be Time-Tied– Again, using the example above, we tied this specific goal to a 12-month period. Making sure goals are time-sensitive helps you to measure them, and ensures a level of urgency that fuels productivity.
Be Organized– Structure a path to achieve the goals. Without a map, it is easy for your goals to become lost in the woods.
Make sure you are held accountable to your goals. A professional fitness buddy– your accountability partner– is a great way to ensure that you stay focused and on the right path to WIN in business! Contact me to help you evaluate your roadmap and reach your goals!
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