Navigating Change Without Distraction

… confront rough draft goals that are actually distractions in disguise. 

Photo credit: Christian Murillo

Change. 

Some of you shuddered with anxiety and others shuddered with excitement at that word. The notion of change frequently evokes strong feelings in people, in one way or the other. The simple fact, succinctly stated by John F. Kennedy, is that “change is the law of life.” It is one of the few guaranteed things to happen in our lives. 

Change management, as we touched on last time, is intended to help organizations and people successfully navigate change. Change for the mere sake of change is a waste of resources. Keeping those change efforts focused requires defining goals, so we don’t lose our bearing along the change path. There are several frameworks for goal setting including, Objectives & Key Results (OKRs), SMART Goals, and Big Hair Audacious Goals (BHAG) to name a few. The folks over at Hypercontext did a nice write-up touching on several goal-setting frameworks (click here).

Personally, I’ve found the SMART framework to be useful - so we’re going to focus on that. This framework is best used for intermediate goals. Things that are high level enough to accomplish the core responsibilities of your role, but small enough to measure. Not really task management, nor giant vision-breaking goals, which makes using the SMART framework a good place to start when dipping your toe in the change management world. SMART is an acronym that stands for: 

• Specific

• Measurable

• Achievable (or Attainable, there is internet debate for some reason)

• Relevant

• Time-Bound

Specific

What will be accomplished? What actions will be taken? Be specific here. Specificity helps to define the desired outcome. If crafted well, the goal can serve as a lighthouse - guiding you through the day-to-day. Remember that we are straddling the line between huge vision-defining goals and individual tasks in this model. Too narrow and you’ll end up creating a task list rather than a goal; too broad and you’ll struggle to measure when you’ve accomplished the goal. 

Measurable

How will progress/success be measured? Sometimes the measurement is easy to identify. A goal to implement a new software could use metrics like installation progress, software utilization, bugs reported, etc. Other times, you have to get a bit creative in how you plan to measure. For example, for a goal to improve leadership skills, you might track classes taken, mentorship meetings, peer reviews, team surveys, or actionable feedback received.

Achievable

Is the goal realistic? What are you lacking (materials, time, or human resources) to accomplish the goal? Be honest here. This framework is about defining a target and actively taking measurable steps toward completing the goal. If resources are lacking, set yourself up for success by identifying what needs to be true for you to be able to achieve the goal, then get creative about tackling those needs.  

Relevant

How does this goal align with the organization’s priorities? Make sure that the goal is adding value, and not just change for the sake of change. Strategic alignment of goals with organizational priorities is important; people thrive when they know their efforts are contributing to the overarching mission. Working through defining the relevancy also prompts you to confront rough draft goals that are actually distractions in disguise. 

Time-Bound

What is the timeframe for completing the goal? Defining a time frame creates a constraint for you. It creates a sense of urgency that demands focus, preventing your goal from migrating to the back burner and being forgotten. 

If it seems like a lot of work, you’re right. Goal setting takes intentional effort. It’s so easy to get lost in the distractions of day-to-day tasks. But over time those small distractions can accumulate and compound. Setting a goal creates a beacon for you to reference along the way. That said, a note of caution, it is possible to take goal setting too far. Not every task needs to be run through a goal-setting framework and an overutilization of goals can actually lead to some negative behaviors (like not being honest/authentic about success or failure). 

Finding a balance in setting goals can have a big impact. There is a measurable impact of effective goal setting. One review showed in 90% of goal-setting studies specific and challenging goals led to higher performance than easy goals or no goals at all. The SMART framework can help you work through defining your goal to ensure you create a target worth your time and effort. 

Next Chapter Strategies would be happy to assist if you want some help talking through and/or implementing new goal-setting frameworks. You can contact us for a free value-finding session and discover the next steps on your change journey.