For many of us, the month of January is synonymous with good resolutions and the projection of actions we wish to accomplish during the year. Whether professional or personal, we draw up milestones for the coming months and list projects we want to see come to fruition. In this article, we'll describe the three phases involved in realizing your ambitions at work.
The first person to discuss the need to program qualitative and quantitative objectives was business management theorist Peter F. Drucker, in his book "The Practice of Management", published in 1954. George T. Doran, a management professor, went a step further in 1981 by democratizing the SMART method. SMART are five letters that can be used to describe an individual objective or a
company objective:
- S is for Specific: this is stating your goal very specifically so that all stakeholders understand their involvement in its success.
- M is for Measurable: how will you measure that your goal is being met? In marketing, we talk about KPI or key performance indicator. This one allows you to make the expected results very concrete.
- A is for Attainable: you need to be ambitious while setting an achievable goal with respect to the means at your disposal. A reasonable challenge will allow you to get your colleagues on board without discouraging them in front of the stakes.
- R is for Realistic: Related to the previous criterion, this characteristic allows us to judge the relevance and consistency of the objective.
- T is for Temporal: Determine a date by which you want to be finished with your mission. A goal without a deadline will never be on your priority list and therefore will be less likely to succeed. It's important for your team to place its completion in time.
Professional objectives are discussed with the manager during annual interviews. These meetings are mandatory if you are an employee. They must be held at least every two years and when returning to work after special leaves such as maternity leave. Professional development, training, missions, all these subjects are discussed during these one-on-one meetings.
What are some examples of professional objectives for an annual interview? If you are a community manager, you will probably be challenged on the number of subscribers to the company's social networks. Using the SMART method, you could phrase it this way: gain 2,000 more followers on the brand's Instagram account in one year. Once the challenges are validated, create a tracking chart. As you go along, you can add to it with your action plan.
That's it, you can see the finish line more clearly. From now on, you'll have to be consistent in your efforts and stay motivated throughout the race. To ensure a consistent stride, develop new habits related to your goals. If you want to improve your English, you can set aside a time every day after lunch to read articles in English for 15 minutes.
Once you have adopted this practice, extend the session by ten minutes. Indeed, it is better to start with small, meaningful actions. When faced with a challenge that seems too big, it can be difficult to overcome.
The risk? Standing still, procrastinating and getting discouraged. So we take the pressure off by breaking down these goals into micro-actions. Let's say you want to achieve 30% more sales during the year. You will list different ways to achieve this.
If your first action is to recruit five salespeople, you may be frightened by the time this task requires. On the other hand, if you start with a micro-action, it will probably be to write a job description.
The second will be to publish the offer on a specialized site, etc. Seen from this angle, it seems less difficult, right? Organizations often choose to bring teams together during a team building event to motivate them around a common goal. Why not plan a residential seminar?
This is an opportunity to take a moment out of the office to explain your business objectives and write a strategy together. The Oasis House facilitates the organization of corporate retreats with houses specially designed for teamwork in a natural setting that encourages creativity.
The whistle has blown, the deadline has arrived. Month after month, you have tracked results, refined your plan and implemented many actions. It's time to get the numbers, indicators and tracking charts back. Is the goal met?
Option 1: You are disappointed because you did not succeed as you had hoped. If this goal is still on your list, you can get a coach, a like-minded collaborator, a mentor, etc. Beyond the results, rewind the course of the projects. What tools did you miss? Should additional budget have been allocated? What could you have done better?
Option 2: All of your goals have been met. Congratulations! Take the time to reward yourself for your hard work over the weeks. These gifts will act as fuel for your next challenges. What have been your sources of motivation? What moments allow you to gain energy? Write a summary to remember these things.
When it comes to achieving your professional goals, it is necessary to proceed in stages. A study published in January 2023 by Qapa (Adecco Group) shows that only 13% of individuals have managed to keep one or more resolutions in the past years. 62% would be in favor of setting up a support program within their company to help them.
=> Did you like this article? You might also be interested in this one: Telecommuting: a personal/work life balance to rethink
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