Why “Communicate better” is not a goal your team can hit
If nobody can tell whether they are winning, it is not a goal. Give one number, one date and one first step this week.
THE QUICK ANSWER
Say this instead: one number, one date, one first step this week. For example, “Cut back-and-forth emails from five to two by the end of March.” “Communicate better” is not a goal because nobody can tell whether they are winning. Check in halfway, and you have something your team can actually hit.
GO DEEPER
What makes a goal one your team can hit
“Communicate better” is one of the most common goals in year-end reviews. It sounds sensible, and it points in the right direction. But it is not a goal your team can hit.
The problem is that nobody can tell whether they are winning. Better than what? By when? If the employee thinks they have improved and you do not, you will have an argument in six months about something that was never defined.
A goal your team can hit has three parts: one number, one date, and one first step this week. “Cut back-and-forth emails from five to two by the end of March. First step: write the ask and the deadline in the first line of every email.” Now both of you can see what success looks like.
Check in halfway, not just at the end. A goal with a midpoint check lets you adjust while there is still time. The SMART goal builder can turn a vague ambition into a plan in a couple of minutes.
KEY TAKEAWAY
A goal needs one number, one date and one first step this week, or nobody can tell if they are winning.
TEST YOURSELF
Which goal is most likely to be hit?
PRACTISE IT
Try this lesson in the arcade
Quick retro games that start with this lesson’s situations. One thumb, one to three minutes, free.
