TFT: Do You Have Big Goals or Small Goals

What you need to consider in this time of goal setting

For this weeks TFT I was reflecting on goal setting, since it is that time of year. I also finished the book, Learned Excellence and there was a quote that stood out to me.

You need both big and little goals to stay inspired and motivated. But also know what you need to do next.

This originated in a 2008 study, “Eyes on the Prize or Nose to the Grindstone”. Thinking about this study and the importance of long term and short term goals is what we will focus on today. Specially around setting long term goals, BHAGS, and daily actions. Let me know what you think about the action plan below.

Why You Need Long Term Goals and BHAGS

1. When you are setting goals make sure you have a vision on the road ahead, 3-5 years.

2. Set BHAGs because they are moon shots. They are something to strive for and build towards.

Long term goals give you the vision you need to fight through the day to day battles. You are looking three or five years into the future and thinking about where you want to be.

• What resources will you need?

• Where should you be located?

• What relationships will you need? Vendor and customer.

• What training will you need?

This is more of the daydream section of the goal setting. Think about the nice to haves or the wow, what if that happened, type of moments. Pick out two to three Big Hairy Audacious Goals or BHAGs as Jim Collin’s would call them. This will be your moonshot type of goals. In the moment they will seem impossible, but that is just because you have not learned everything you will learn in the next three to five years. Once you have these BHAGs you can start to break them down into shorter term goals that will learn to your day to day actions. Just like your sales funnel, start big and filter down to day to day actions.

Time to Get Tactical for the Day to Day Battle

1. Also you need daily action steps. Battle plans if you will for day to day hand to hand combat.

2. I want to win the war, but I need to know the battle that I am fighting today.

   1. Which customers are we winning with, which customers are we not?

Now you have a set of BHAGs for your business or product. You are starting to filter that down to six twelve month action plans. The length of your shorter term goals are really depended on your focus.

• Do you like looking at a year at a time?

• What about a quarter at a time?

• How often are things changing in your business or industry?

Consider something new like AI, changes are happening all the time. Setting twelve month goals may lead to goals being obsolete by month ten. So consider your industry and your project life cycle. Once you know those things you can pick the right length of time for your short term goals. You may also try one length of goals, say a year, and find out that you need to shorten the length of time. That’s fine. Live and learn.

Time to Adjust and get Feedback

That leads us right in to the last thought here which is adjust and get feedback. As you achieve goals or you do not review and adjust your timing and goal setting process. Also take this time to review your long term goals.

• Does your vision still make sense?

• Was your timeframe for the goal correct?

• What did your team members think of the goals?

• What adjustments do you need to make on the fly?

There will be changes in the environment, in the industry, or maybe with your vision. As those items happened review your goals and ask your team for feedback. Implement adjustments to the goal setting system as your projects change. Also use this time to celebrate small wins. Maybe the goal was not fully achieved or maybe the project did not turnout the way you wanted it to, but what can you learn from it? What can you celebrate with the team?

Action Step

Set aside 30 mins this week to review your current goals.

• Are they inline with your long term vision?

• Do you have the right timeline?

• What adjustments should you make?

If you have team members take 30 mins to review their goals as well and talk to each of them one-on-one about their goals. This will ensure alignment across the team.

Recommended Reading:

1. “BHAG: Big Hairy Audacious Goals” – Jim Collins

2. “How to Set SMART Goals: A Guide for Entrepreneurs” – HubSpot

3. “Short-Term vs. Long-Term Goals: Why Both Matter” – Forbes

4. “The Science of Setting Goals: How It Can Drive Motivation” – Harvard Business Review

• Are you looking to improve your sales process or hire your first sales professional?

• Are you a technical expert ready to transition into sales and need guidance?

If so, we’re here to help! Reach out to us with your specific challenges, and we’ll schedule a time to discuss how we can develop a customized plan to meet your goals.