As a young and gullible manager I lapped up the goal-setting dogma that you too are probably familiar with – S.M.A.R.T. goals - Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Time- bounded (there are a number of variations on these words). I mean, it seemed to make so much common sense at the time, so why question it? And I certainly passed it on in many a training session.
To all those to whom I passed on such glib, misleading but well-meaning advice, I humbly apologise.
People (well, managers at least) like to think that they set goals and achieve them – and thus make personal and corporate progress – meet the budget; reach the sales target; grow the business. Perhaps you set personal goals too, especially around New Year – lose weight; get fit; save money; devote more time to…
When you set or accept a goal that you believe is important and work towards it – how does your motivation flow? Sometimes procrastination automatically becomes the first priority? Sometimes self-sabotage activities seem to mysteriously infiltrate your plans? Sometimes circumstances change enough for that goal to quietly fade from the agenda? Sometimes you get to ‘tick the box’, but then gradually slide back into the previous state? If life was like a train rolling down a track then self-discipline would be the only quality that one needed to succeed.
What I have discovered (35 years later) is quite heretic – goals are NOT about achievement! More importantly, there is a much better way to achieve real progress and outstanding corporate and personal results. I wonder how many of Steve Jobs’ projects would have fitted the S.M.A.R.T. criteria?
S.M.A.R.T. goals are usually applied to what we should ‘do’ or to what we should ‘have’ – about actions and results. What we ignore in that linear, mechanical view of the world is who we might ‘become’ in the process. Now if you are a typical manager, please don’t switch of just yet! I will attempt to get back to reality soon! ‘Who we might become’ implies ‘change’ and ‘growth’ and that adds a much richer dimension to the simple linear intent of goals. And in that dimension lies the source of the creative possibilities and innovation that Steve Jobs mastered so well.
Would you like to add that dimension to your personal or corporate life? Here’s the higher truth…
It’s all about ‘change’ – and it’s only about ‘change’ – and within the change process there may well be markers or milestones – but for the purpose of realising this higher truth, let’s not call them goals. And here’s the take-away diamond in all this – you! It’s not what you achieve but who you become in the process that makes the real difference in the world. And who you have the potential to become, is the person who would normally have the outcomes you seek as part of everyday life. In other words the change ‘out there’ can only be sustained by the change ‘in here’. So the question is ‘What do you want to change?’ And simultaneously the other side of the same coin is, ‘Who do you want to become?’ It’s the same question. It’s easy at this point to balloon up to life purpose and all that, but it equally applies to meeting the budget, hitting the sales target or losing that weight.
Now, the value of S.M.A.R.T. is that it can get you clear on what you actually want to change and become. It’s getting your mind and heart clear on what you really want, that ignites the engine of results. So frankly I’d drop ‘Achievable’ and ‘Realistic’ completely, because they imply that you know not only what is achievable, but how it will be achieved. If that is in fact true, then don’t bother setting the goal – just continue with the current well-worn process. ‘Specific, Measureable and Time-bounded’ are good criteria for getting really clear – for objectifying ‘wants’ that usually start off as vague or fuzzy feelings. Getting really clear doesn’t mean that you don’t have to take specific actions – but it allows that you can draw on all kinds of opportunities from the environment that you otherwise would not have noticed.
This is how life works anyway – whether we are aware of it or not. From a totally speculative point of view, it seems to me that Steve Jobs heart’s desire (his passion) was to create something so unique and so special that it would be valued by the whole world. I read that he was born out of wedlock, put up for adoption at birth, dropped out of school, and was even fired from his own company in 1985 when he was a globally-recognised CEO. His obituaries acknowledge that he well and truly fulfilled that heart’s desire. His history may well reflect the source of that all-consuming passion.
Our higher truth here is that change is the only constant and we are all part of an environment over which we have little influence. By getting really clear in heart and mind as to what we want to change ‘out there’ and simultaneously ‘in here’, we engage with the environment and fuse those two elements into one powerful force of nature. ‘How’ is not your concern – the environment takes care of that, because it contains every ‘how’ that ever was – and then some! Your concern is simply ‘What’. Mind you, growing to embody that desired change will bring its challenges, and growing pains – but that’s what life is all about!
So, here’s the key to real (holistic) progress at work, at home, in relationship, and in the world – write it out and keep it in view every day… “WHAT CHANGE DO I WANT TODAY?”
There is an egoic part in each of us that wants 'out there' to change, while 'in here' remains the same. If the two are already in alignment then the opportunity to affect the change will arise smoothly - because you already 'are' that change. If there is little or no alignment then the opportunities remain elusive and affecting the change remains a struggle.
If you find it’s a struggle to affect the change you want, then reflect on the internal shift required to match the external shift desired. That reflection will highlight your internal resistance - something you are not willing to let go of - something that's keeping you small.
Now you're set for real progress!
Your VitallyMe Report identifies the triggers for your own typical 'external shift desired', and matches that to your own typical 'internal shift required'. Much smarter than S.M.A.R.T.!
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