When you set goals do you struggle to find the right balance
between being too tough or too easy?
Here are the “seven deadly sins” of goal-setting, all motivated by the desire
to avoid uncomfortable confrontations.
As you read the descriptions of these
“sins”, ask yourself if you recognise any of them in your own dealings with
subordinates (or interactions with your boss):
Backing away from tough expectations: You spend more time
negotiating the goal downward than in figuring out how to achieve it.
Engaging in charades: You and your people know from the
beginning that the goal is just an exercise to convey the appearance of
progress, but there’s no hope of achieving it.
Accepting seesaw trades: When your people take on one goal,
they are relieved of another one.
Setting vague or distant goals: The time frame is not
explicitly defined or set too far into the future, so no one takes it
seriously.
Not establishing consequences: You don’t really differentiate
between those who successfully achieve goals and those who do not.
Setting too many goals: By assigning an overabundance of
objectives you allow subordinates to pick and choose the goals that they either
want to do or find easiest to do — but not necessarily the ones that are most
important.
Allowing deflection to preparations, studies, and research:
You allow people to spend time planning instead of committing to a real goal.
Setting specific goals in a clear and compelling way — and insisting that
people work together to achieve them — is the best way to get results.
Are you putting the right kinds of demands on your people,
or are you committing some of the deadly sins?
