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Golden Oldies: Goals & To-Do Lists — Making Them Work

Monday, October 8th, 2018

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Poking through 12+ years of posts I find information that’s as useful now as when it was written.

Golden Oldies is a collection of the most relevant and timeless posts during that time.

Last Monday we considered whether your goals were your own or dictated by outside pressure. Today, we’ll look at something I wrote way back in2006 when I started this blog — my approach to making goals and to-do lists  a positive experience, i.e., work.

Read other Golden Oldies here.

A client sent me a list of what he plans to accomplish in Q4—it was a very long list. I find most people have similar lists and, although all the items are necessary, the list can be daunting.

As opposed to listing just goals, most people’s lists include everything they need/want to accomplish in that time frame, both goals and to-do’s, hence the long list.

You’ll still need to do the work, but here’s a simple trick to help tame your list, raise your productivity, and give yourself more feelings of accomplishment and fewer of frustration.

I’ve found that the items on these lists fall into three categories:

  • Normal work: includes all the things that you need to do that quarter that are part of your job description. (executing marketing plans, making sales calls, hiring staff; doing reviews, etc.)
  • Goals: in addition to normal, daily tasks (increase manufacturing output 8% in Q4; write operating plan for 2007; reduce attrition 10%, etc.)
  • Behavioral changes: refers to MAP changes (improve attitude; give and accept constructive criticism)

Goals usually require a great deal more planning and take longer to come to fruition, hence the longer deadlines. They are often more strategic and can involve other people’s activities. One major and two minor goals are the most that can be handled efficiently and be accomplished.

Normal work doesn’t need to list every single thing you do. It’s more a matter of personal taste whether you list each thing or just the major tasks that aren’t ongoing on a daily basis. When listing major tasks, e.g., hiring, be sure to set a deadline, be reasonable, but a deadline will keep you on track and keep the item from getting pushed to the back burner. It’s easy to mix up goals and work. For example, you may think of filling a req as a goal, but it’s really part of your normal work as a manager.

Behavioral changes need to be specific, so, rather than “improve attitude,” specify three things that will accomplish that (stay positive, smile, be friendly). MAP changes require staying aware until the desired change becomes a habit and three is about the max most people can monitor at once and, even that, can be a stretch. However, if you made even one MAP change each quarter the over all change in that year would be phenomenal.

Now for the trick. Using three columns with these headings,

  • drag and drop your list into the appropriate column;
  • keep shuffling them until you’re sure each is in the right place;
  • prioritize them; and
  • move any extra items (more than three each) from Behaviors or Goals to a separate holding doc—that’s why prioritizing them is so important.

Print Behavioral changes and stick them on your monitor, tape them to the dashboard, up them on a wall—somewhere you will always see it because out of site is out of mind and you need to stay constantly aware to build the habit.

Using the deadlines, incorporate the others into your normal planning process.

Be sure to do a reality check using normal and worst case analysis. You aren’t Super(wo)man, so be sure that what you want to accomplish can be done. If not, adjust your lists accordingly, keeping it firmly in mind that your object is to increase your productivity, not your frustration.

Finally, once you’re clear on the process, share it with your organization, not just the managers, but with everyone

Image credit: Aaron Davis

Golden Oldie: Whose Goals Are You Pursuing?

Monday, October 1st, 2018

 

Poking through 11+ years of posts I find information that’s as useful now as when it was written.

Golden Oldies is a collection of the most relevant and timeless posts during that time.

Last Wednesday I noted with the year three quarters over people were likely to start obsessing and stressing about accomplishing the goals they set last January. I also said I would discuss goals further today.

Topping the list of choosing goals is the need to identify whose goals are — as explained in this post from 2009. Next Monday I’ll share one more bit of insight about goals from way back in 2006.

Read other Golden Oldies here.

This might come as a shock, but there is no Eleventh Commandment stating, “Thou shalt place thy career above all things in thy life and draw all sustenance, mental and spiritual, as well as economic, from it.”

For decades I’ve held (and preached) the career-as-part-of-life MAP (mindset, attitude, philosophy™), as opposed to the reverse.

Life is LARGE; career is but a small part of the whole.  A major problem is created when the adjectives (and, therefore, the attitudes) are reversed.

Steve Roesler has a great post on a better way to look at your work and your life.

“The issue of work-life balance is about what kind of a life you want to have. Work plays a part in that. Decisions that you make about life determine how much work and what kind of work you do. Spending time getting clear about who you are and how you are talented is time well-spent. You may not even like the answer at first. It may conflict with expectations from you, your family, the community, and even society at large.

Maybe that’s the place to start. For those who work best with a label, perhaps Life Integration would offer a better target than Work-Life Balance.”

I like that—Life Integration.

Very few people choose how to die, but too many don’t choose how to live.

They allow the expectations of parents, educators, friends, colleagues, movies, society-in-general and the ever ubiquitous ‘they’ to choose for them.

Most will deny this publicly, but anyone who honestly remembers the power of peer pressure in school will privately admit that it doesn’t cease to exist upon graduation; in fact the pressures increase dramatically while becoming more covert.

Few successful people care to admit that the goals for which they are working and even how they spend their non-work time are more about fitting in than personal desire.

They chase the goals and do the things that ‘everybody’ is doing in the name of being ‘with it’. And that includes “work/life balance” and “having it all right now.”

So the net time you are ready to tear your hair out STOP; stop, take a step back and honestly determine whose goals you are trying to reach.

The answer may surprise you.

Image credit: arkitekt on sxc.hu

Time Flies

Wednesday, September 26th, 2018

https://www.flickr.com/photos/119886413@N05/34170051954/

 

Unbelievable. Third quarter ends Sunday, which means the year is almost over.

After that there’s really only seven more weeks of fully productive work.

Then comes Thanksgiving and the run-up to all the holidays.

Usually, about a week before thanksgiving is when people start freaking out over all the stuff they haven’t done, especially the goals set last January.

Yeah, the goals that you were going to work on — tomorrow.

Oops.

Suddenly there are very few tomorrows in which to accomplish them.

Missing or just being short isn’t the real problem.

The real problem is that people start putting extraordinary pressure on themselves to achieve them

Not just some of them, but all of them — which is totally crazy.

Worse, on top of that pressure comes all the expectations, pressures and stress of the holidays.

And they wonder why people get so cranky.

I read the following somewhere and it’s stayed with me.

Unrealistic goals lead people to think less of themselves.

The good news is that, as always, it’s your choice.

Join me Monday for more on doing goals right. It may not help this year, but it will keep you from going through it next year.

Image credit: Michel Curi

Golden New Year Oldie: Successful New Year Resolutions

Friday, December 29th, 2017

It’s been 10 years since Joe switched from New Year resolutions to New Year goals. He recently shared the ones for 2018 and said he’s still crushing them every year.

He also said that his 15-yr-old son, “Kevin,” doesn’t believe he is “Joe” and asked me to reprint the original. OK, Joe, here it is, along with a shout out to Kevin that yes, your dad really is “Joe.”

“Joe” an executive I know, sent me his list of New Year’s resolutions and it reminded me of a cartoon I recently saw, and the written counterpart that’s been around for ages:

Person 1: “Would you like to see my New Year’s resolutions?”
Person 2: “Aren’t they the same ones you show me every year?”

He sends the list every year, as kind of an informal accountability function. He keeps it short, just a few things that he really wants to do, but, sadly, they are too often variations of the same things that were on previous lists.

Sure, we’ve all been there, but this is from a guy who is famous for hitting his goals at the 95 to 100% level.

Why do people so often miss on resolutions, yet rarely blow their goals in a similar manner? What’s the difference?

Let’s take a look at Joe’s list. He wants to

  • stop micromanaging;
  • communicate better;
  • workout daily;
  • lose 20 pounds.

Other than the first item, the list probably duplicates thousands of others. What is the problem?

Have you ever noticed that resolutions are

  • phrased in an absolute manner that leaves no room for incremental improvement—an all-or-nothing approach;
  • short and not quantified;
  • rarely have a viable plan by which to achieve them; and
  • often aren’t realistic when measured by the resources (time and/or mental/physical energy) required to accomplish them.

If you set your company or department goals this way do you believe that they would be achieved?

If they aren’t achieved, did you really fail? Not if you believe in ering, as I do.

This year, why not do what Joe’s finally doing? Learn about ering (use the link!), reformulate your resolutions as goals, do a reality test on them to see if they hold up, and show them to someone (feel free to send them to me) for both support and a few accountability nudges during the year.

Do this and see how far you can really go, as well as the difference it makes to your esteem and peace of mind.

My best wishes to Joe, Kevin and all my visitors. May crushing your 2018 New Year goals this coming year be as sweet as the deserts you indulged in during your 2017 Christmas.

Image credit: Lenabem-Anna J.

Ducks in a Row: the Worst State to Live In

Tuesday, January 12th, 2016

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The start of every year is a time of resolutions, which I never believed in; resolutions waver, while goals flourish — not the same thing at all.

With the goal of helping you improve whatever results you seek in 2016, I suggest you relocate.

Choosing to move from the State of Denial to almost any other State will yield amazing results and unexpected benefits.

Of course, the greatest challenge is forcing yourself to leave a place that is fully in your control, completely customizable and personally satisfying.

The State of Denial offers great weather and no storms. It’s one of the only places where wishing for something different actually alters your reality.

The problem is that the State has a tiny population; one person, to be exact, with little chance of growing, as well as a limited range of vision, so it can be a very lonely place.

Worse, some people live in multiple States of Denial simultaneously and trying to move from all of them at the same time can lead to high stress and even depression.

Beyond that, most Denial States are normally at war with other Denial States and constant war is not only exhausting, but also precludes moving forward on other projects.

The secret of relocating is to first define that particular State’s boundaries.

Once you are sure of what you want to leave, then you need to define where you want to go.

You may find that reaching your ideal State is better done in smaller hops, as opposed to one great leap.

The key is that only you can define your current State’s perimeter or the boundaries of where you are headed.

Flickr image credit:  Tambako The Jaguar 

Ducks in a Row: Same Questions/Same Answers

Tuesday, August 25th, 2015

https://www.flickr.com/photos/m-a-r-t-i-n/12103831755

Different generations, but bosses are asking the same questions.

How do I implement cultural and other intangible changes and, more importantly, encourage (or, if necessary, coerce) their adoption?

I responded nine years ago and the answer hasn’t really changed.

The most successful method is as simple as one, two, three.

  1. Carefully define, in a quantifiable manner, what you want done (not “increase retention,” but “reduce turnover by X%”).
  2. Include these well quantified goals in the managers’ annual objectives.
  3. Make it clear to your managers that they will be evaluated on these goals and that the evaluation will impact their annual reviews and compensation.

Vested self-interest will do the rest.

Flickr image credit: Martin Cooper

Extreme Stupid Bosses: Trashing Goals

Monday, April 20th, 2009

There are way too many stupid bosses out there, but now and then one of them goes to extremes.

This is the first of an occasional series based on finding or receiving examples of extreme managerial stupidity. If you have a good one please send it to me at miki@rampupsolutions.com, subject “extreme stupidity” (so it misses the filters).

In her annual goal-setting meeting with her boss a woman with a track record building relationships across departments said that one of her goals was to increase her knowledge so she could help the company juice innovation by breaking down silos.

Her boss said, “This place doesn’t work that way. No place does. I think you’re confusing knowledge with ability and I wouldn’t recommend that you build a career based on knowledge. Do yourself a favor, don’t set yourself up for failure.

Focus on something you can really do. Work on your Powerpoint skills. Learn to manage your time better so you don’t have to work so many hours.

Let me explain something to you with an example, I believe in taking care of the customer and the shareholder. I don’t give a sh** about the employee. So I’d never put into my goals ‘build stronger relationships with my team members’ because I don’t care about them. I’d hate doing it and I wouldn’t be any good at it because I don’t want to be any good at it. See what I mean?”

There are multiple stupidities in his comments, so I’ll take them individually.

  1. Obviously this manager doesn’t read the business news. There isn’t a CEO out there who isn’t looking for ways to break down walls and reduce silo mentality; there’s too much proof that doing so sparks innovation and raises the bottom line.
  2. Skills are knowledge in action; knowledge is transferable between industries; in the 21st Century there is nothing else on which to build a career except knowledge.
  3. A company is like a three legged stool with investors, customers and employees being the legs. If one leg is longer or more robust than another the stool will tip over. This type MAP guarantees sky-high costs due to extremely low productivity and excessively high turnover, since employees vote for their bosses with their feet.
  4. Managers are not the front line in most companies—especially those large enough to have silos. This manager’s customers are interfacing with the employees about which he doesn’t give a sh**, so there’s not much reason for them to give much of a sh** about the customers.
  5. Managerial raises and promotions are based on the accomplishments of the manager’s team; there is nothing a manager can do as an individual that will offset a non-performing group. However, how long it takes him to fall on his ass depends on how many levels above him have the same MAP.

If you find yourself in a similar situation here are some ideas on what to do

If possible change jobs; set your own goals and pursue them as openly as is safe and covertly when it isn’t; continue to build both knowledge and associated skills.

And what not to do

Don’t bother reporting him—unless he’s a very recent hire HR and his manager already know; don’t try sabotage—it’s likely to backfire; put it out of your mind—don’t allow it to eat at you or gnaw on it like an old bone; make a screen saver, sign, etc. that says, “This To Shall Pass” and get on with your life.

Image credit: b0r1s on flickr

Ducks In A Row: A Tool To Make Reviews And Management Easier

Tuesday, March 24th, 2009

Last week I promised to provide you with a simple, amazing tool that would help identify goals for each of your people and a whole lot more.

It’s the GSA (Great Skills Assessment) that uses a spreadsheet to monitors both hard and soft skills. If you already do something similar this post may open your eyes to additional uses.

The best reviews help people grow, not by beating them over the head but by laying out an achievable plan for improving areas in which they are weak.

An accurate GSA that’s frequently updated makes it easy to identify what will enhance a person’s value to the company in meeting its corporate goals as well as progressing on a desired career path.

Its value increases by merging individual assessments into one for the whole organization that you can use when planning projects.

And it’s invaluable when it’s time to fill an opening; a complete GSA is the best guarantee that you won’t end up with all your group’s skills in one area and gaping holes in others.

There are many ways to approach assessment creation and usage depending on your MAP and attitude towards inclusiveness and openness, but here is how my clients do it.

1. Looking at the template you’ll notice that the first three sections are public while the fourth is marked private. Start by sending the public part of the assessment template to each of your people and ask them to list their skills and rate them on a scale of one to five. Ask them to include not just the skills that they use at work, but all their skills, such as those they use at home or in volunteer work. You may be pleasantly surprised at the unknown depth and variety of abilities you find in your organization.

2. Post the results on your department intranet and ask everybody to add to each other’s profile—this includes you. Many times people have skills and abilities they ignore because previous bosses didn’t value them, but peers are apt to notice and comment and you may value stuff of which they aren’t aware.

3. Once everyone is finished (for the moment, you should encourage people to keep their profiles updated) you want to discuss specific results separately with each person, especially those that diverge from your own knowledge or opinions. Be patient; by the end of the conversation the two of you should be in agreement on both skills and ratings.

4. The private section of the soft skills is completed by you and should remain private. Use it as a guide when you’re coaching, assigning roles, helping the person prepare for their next career move, etc.—and to evaluate your own managerial success. If the public skills improve and goals are met, but you don’t see improvement in the private areas then look in the mirror since those skills are typically a direct reflection of management.

Combining the goal-setting procedure described last week with the GSA makes it easy to identify, define and agree on each person’s goals, both short and long-term.

Success today means constantly reinventing yourself and your organization—I call it continual course correction and the GSA makes it much easier.

Your comments—priceless

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Image credit: flickr

Ducks In A Row: Secrets Of Doing Great (Painless) Reviews

Tuesday, March 17th, 2009

The foremost thought to hold in you mind when creating a positive and powerful review culture is that it’s similar to Chinese cooking—most of the time is spent in preparation, whereas the food cooks quickly.

(Note: terminology can be confusing; ‘goal’ and ‘objective’ are interchangeable as are ‘appraisal’ and ‘review’.)

Here are the underlying steps that you need to learn, practice and absorb into your MAP.

Annual reviews alone don’t work even when that’s all your company requires.

To succeed people need semiformal feedback each quarter along with constant, informal daily input and coaching focused on helping them achieve the goals set forth in the previous annual review. (More on goals later.)

Reviews are the same as every other management task—they require good planning, open communications and accountability on both sides.

The first step to painless reviews is to commit to doing

  • one HR-blessed annual review, with full paperwork, during the last two weeks of December;
  • four quarterly reviews within the first week of each quarter; and
  • constant, informal, ‘how am I doing’ feedback all year long.

Remember that

  • any time you set a goal it needs a delivery date to be real; and
  • never make commitments you either can’t or aren’t planning to fulfill.

First tell your people what to expect, then post your commitment on the department intranet and tell every person you hire how it works—and follow-through.

When you commit publicly you make yourself accountable.

Good reviews aren’t about filling out a lot of paperwork, whether by hand or computer. Yes, you need to follow company guidelines and use company approved forms, but as stated at the beginning, those are the mechanics.

The secret of a positive review culture is defining exactly what you want a person to accomplish during the year, discussing the goals and refining them together, in other words, the heart is the interaction between you and each person on your team, because one size does not fit all.

The result is that your people not only know exactly what their goals are, but they own them.

Setting Goals

  • The basic rule is to never set more than three to five major goals in a year and the exact number depends on their size and complexity.
  • Annual review goals should be high level, complex, and take 12 months to accomplish. They can include hard skills, such as technical certification, and soft skills, such as improving presentation skills.
  • All goals should be quantified. “Be more willing to share” is a self defeating goal because it offers no way for the person or you to measure improvement; it becomes totally subjective, a matter of opinion and a source of contention at next year’s review. Instead the goal might be “Increase time spent sharing knowledge 10%” and agree on what the baseline is currently.
  • Work together during the discussions to break down large/complex annual goals into smaller, more manageable goals that can be achieved each quarter and still more bit-sized pieces for each month, week and even day.

The cool thing is that achieving a constant stream of smaller goals keeps people motivated and prevents the large goals from overwhelming them.

And before you start complaining about the time involved, perhaps you should go back and read your job description or, better yet, go back a little further and think about all the lousy reviews you’ve had along the way, either because they didn’t happen or because they were all form and no substance.

Then think about, hopefully, the manager(s) who saw the value and used reviews to challenge, stretch and juice your growth, so you were ready for a promotion that put you in their shoes.

Then decide which one you want to be for your people.

Be sure to come back next week when I show you a simple, amazing tool that helps identify goals for each of your people and also has some terrific side benefits.

Your comments—priceless

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Image credit: flickr

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