Set Goals - Not Resolutions

It's the New Year, and tons of talk about setting new year resolutions - both personal and in business.

The first week of the year is often a time for making resolutions. We all know the common ones: Lose weight; get in shape; spend more time with family, etc.

Resolutions for our workplace might be to improve our time management, have better relationships with coworkers, or increase our productivity.

However long or short our lists, too often they fail to become reality.

Dan Bobinski offers his take on WHY we don't follow through on our resolutions:

It stems from three basic problems:

1. The goals are fuzzy – not clearly measurable.
2. The goals do not have a mapped out plan for success.
3. No accountability system is in place.

How to overcome these obstacles?

1. Clarify! Clear targets are easier to hit. S.M.A.R.T. goals are Specific, Measurable, Action-oriented, Realistic, and Time-factored.
2. Plan! Identify all that needs to happen. Write the steps out. Map them out. Draw projected timelines. Set milestones.
3. Be Accountable! Discuss your progress with others, otherwise you'll procrastinate and not get much done. Executives use personal or professional business coaches for accountability. Successful athletes stay accountable to their trainers and coaches. CFO's stay accountable to CPA's. Stay on track with what you want to do by being accountable to at least one other person. More is better.

BOTTOMLINE: A key component of the Six Disciplines Program is accountability coaching. Six Disciplines Leadership Centers offer accountability coaching to keep you on track, help you develop new habits, and show everyone in your organization how to be more accountable and self-managing.