Success: Goal Setting

(Refer our High Quality Management Encyclopedia “Management Universe” at: http://management-universe.blogspot.com/)

We started with defining “success” or “success in life” (refer: http://shyam.bhatawdekar.net/index.php/2010/03/21/success-in-life/) and then went on to discuss the steps one should take in order to achieve success. In previous posts we discussed the first three steps namely:

1. Effectiveness and efficiency (refer: http://shyam.bhatawdekar.net/index.php/2010/03/30/success-effectiveness-and-efficiency/)

2. Sharpen your HSoftware (human software) (refer: http://shyam.bhatawdekar.net/index.php/2010/04/06/sharpen-your-hsoftware-human-software/)

3. Paradigms and paradigm shift (Refer: http://shyam.bhatawdekar.net/index.php/2010/04/25/paradigms-and-paradigm-shift/)

Next logical step to achieve success is “goal setting” or “target setting”.

In each aspect of success i.e. success in professional field, success as a parent, success as a husband, success as a son, success as human being etc, you will have to define your goals or targets to achieve on a specified time line.

Goal setting exercise is very important. Purposes of goals are: to focus your attention, to give you a time frame to work and in which to plan, to help motivate yourself and others and to ensure everybody is clear about what is happening.

Goal or target setting is done on short term, medium term and long term basis. In the context of personal goals, one can even think of setting up life time goals.

When setting goals you should follow this sequence:

• See it
• Say it
• Write it down
• Do it

Goals should be SMART:

• Goals should be specific (S)
• Goals should measurable (M)
• Goals should be agreed (by you and with others) (A)
• Goals should be realistic (R) and
• Goals should be timed (should be achieved in a specified time) (T)

If your goals do not meet the criteria listed above, they cannot be called goals. You will have to revisit them and redefine them in order to make sure that they stand true to the above-mentioned five criteria.

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