Discover more from NonsenseAtWork
(If you are a soccer fan(atic), then please skip the introduction. It will annoy you.)
Herewith a brief introduction:
Have you ever wondered why the score in a soccer match is so low? A score of 1-1, or lower, after 90 minutes! I mean, really. Compare that with the average score of a basketball match which lasts a mere 48 minutes! (If you need to know, the average score per women's game is above 60; for men it is above 67. No scores of 1-1 or less for them!)
Well, let me explain the mistake soccer teams make. It's the same mistake many executive teams make when engaged in formal strategic planning. They (players and executives) confuse goals with objectives. Or they ignore objectives completely.
In soccer, surely the aim of every game is to score as many individual GOALS as possible. Why? So that they can win the game, yes. But why, really? To achieve their OBJECTIVE, which is to qualify for the next round. Or if you prefer, to still be in business in the next quarter.
Got it? Good, because here ends the introduction.
And here begins your latest trigger question:
No doubt, you and your team regularly set goals. Goals are important, because without goals you won't know whether you are making progress. Or not. But... How do you know that you have set the right goal to aim for?
By being clear and specific.
Obvious, isn’t it? Maybe not. Have you seen that ridiculous sticker on the back of big trucks? You know the one. “Safety is my goal.”
For Pete’s sake, if safety is your goal, then stay home. Under your bed. Goal achieved.
No, sir, Mister Trucker, your goal is to deliver your cargo. How you do so is another matter.
So, how do you get to "clear and specific"? Ask Rudyard Kipling's Six Honest Serving Men. (Look it up. They are called What, Why, When, How, Where and Who.)
-
You want examples of slightly clearer and more specific? Okay:
For Mister Trucker: “My planned outcome for the week is to deliver my cargo on time and to get back home, safely.” It may not fit on a bumper sticker, but it will keep you focused on what matters in your job. And on how to do it.
For your soccer team: "We plan to score as many goals as quickly as we can without resorting to fake injuries to con the referee into awarding us undeserved penalties." This game plan may result in a win without the need for a penalty shootout. Your goalie will thank you.
->
Your Friday Trigger Question:
Are you pointing at the right goal?
Welcome to my side of the nonsense goalie divide.
->
(For a different view of the Six Honest Serving Men in action, see bp195 Six Servings of Impact On the Corporate Ladder.)