Although we (almost) all work very hard, we often feel that we are not achieving what we want to achieve. The reason is often that we don't know where we want to go, what we want to achieve. Don't set goals? Then it feels like traveling without a map. You can drive as far as you want, but you end up accomplishing nothing and will get lost in all the roads and streets. It is no longer accepted that people go through life on autopilot. This is because the risk of burnout, demotivated employees and outflow of talent is far too high. It is important to pause and set goals. This is how you get out of that automatic pilot and actively take charge of your own development. The facts below prove the need for goal setting. Want to know how to act on these facts and figures? Then read on below the infographic.
1. Far too few people set goals.
20% of people set goals. That means that 80% of people do not set goals.
Most people say they see the value of goal setting. However, only 20% actually set goals. This is mainly because many organizations do not actively encourage goal setting. A tip to all organizations: set goals for 10 years from now ( a Big, Hairy, Audacious Goal ), what do you want to have achieved by then? Reduce this goal to a target for next year, this year and eventually quarterly and communicate it clearly to all employees. That way you all know where you are going. Then have each team and employee align their personal goal with the company goals. That way employees feel part of the bigger picture and you keep them engaged.
2. The percentage of people achieving their goals is low
Of the 20% who set goals, an average of 70% do not achieve their goals.
Many people expect that when their goal actually stands, they can achieve it relatively easily. However, it doesn't work to say "I want this..." and expect it to come true. The goal setting process starts with setting a good goal. The second step is to consider how you are going to achieve this goal. Finally, you have to actually start executing something to see success. The second step is often missed in the entire process. In practice, employees are so focused on the result that they forget the intermediate steps. If you turn these intermediate steps into small goals that you can tick off along the way, that will give you more energy and a greater chance of achieving your objective. In a Performance Management platform , large objectives are easily broken down into small pieces so that it becomes concrete what you need to do to achieve your goals.
E-book: Setting Goals
How can you set goals in the best way? What kinds of goals are there? And what does goal setting yield? In this e-book, we give you tips&tricks and tools.
3. Goal setting = better performing teams!
High-performing teams spend 20% more time setting goals than low-performing teams.
This little fact does prove that goal setting does have merit. In addition to individual goals, team goals are important to keep everyone aligned and working together toward company goals. Don't have team goals? If so, it will have a detrimental effect on employee productivity and engagement. Having team goals ensures:
- Transparency: Setting team goals puts everyone on the same page and you know what you're working for together. Employees are given responsibilities but also know what the rest of the team members are working on.
- Motivation: Because employees know what the organizational goals are and can adjust their team goals accordingly, they feel part of the whole and see the value of their work. This increases motivation and encourages people to give that little bit extra.
- Teamwork: By aligning individual goals with team goals, each personal success brings you further toward the end goal. Employees are therefore more willing to help others achieve their goals which makes for better teamwork.
4. Productivity
In 95% of organizations, goal setting leads to increased productivity.
As we told you earlier, working without a purpose is similar to traveling without a map. You have no direction and will eventually get lost. Consequently, most people work from day to day in an unstructured manner. This eventually leads to frustration, procrastination and, therefore, no progress. When you know exactly what you need to do each day to achieve your goal, you avoid procrastination. This clarity and structure will create more focus and thus higher productivity.
5. Thinking small is the secret to great success
93% of people cannot translate goals into the appropriate, concrete actions needed to achieve the goal.
Earlier in this article we told you that employees focus too much on the result to be achieved, that the intermediate steps are often forgotten. Here, first, it is important that you set goals that you yourself support. It should mean something to you and be of value in the work you do. After that, it is good to break down your big goal into smaller goals. What all do you need to do to achieve your goal? After all, it is much nicer to achieve a goal than to take a step. In addition, setting small goals makes it much easier to make adjustments when you are not going in the right direction. Small goals are easier to achieve, make you feel good and ultimately lead to achieving your big goal.
6. Write it down!
People who write down their goals are 33% more successful in achieving their goals than people who do not write down their goals.
Without writing down your goals it is just a dream. When you write down your goals, it shows that you consider them important you commit yourself to being intentional about them. Have you written them down? Then the following things are important:
- Review your goals every day: Are you not doing this? Then in no time you will have forgotten what your goal was. Bring your goals to life. Hang them on the wall in your office or above your bed, for example. That way you will be reminded of them every day.
- Track your progress: Keeping track of your progress lets you know if you are on the right track. It gives you energy when you are on the right track and you can make timely adjustments when you are not. In addition, you can reward yourself when you are on the right track and have achieved small goals, for example. With rewards comes the feeling of happiness and satisfaction, which will lead to more success. In the goals module of Treams , you can add notes and update your progress at any time. This way you and your manager know where you stand and what you still need to do to achieve your goals.
7. Sharing is caring!
People who share their objective with others are 25% more likely to achieve their objective than those who do not share it.
Sharing your goals provides:
- Greater clarity: By sharing your goal with others, they will know what you are working on. As a result, others can help you achieve your goal and the conversations you have with each other will be more valuable.
- More responsibility: Sharing your goal makes it more realistic. Others can hold you accountable for achieving your goal. For example, if you tell a colleague that your goal is to get X number of website visitors, he/she will ask about it again next time, which gives extra incentive and ultimately helps you reach your goal.
8. Feedback is the fuel!
50% of managers do not give constructive feedback when employees are out of alignment with their goals.
You probably know the game hot-cold. Children playing it go in search of a hidden object and give each other feedback: from "hot" when they are near the hidden object, to "hot," to "cold" and finally to "icy cold" for when they are too far away from the object. This feedback is hugely important for getting close to the object. Don't get any feedback? Then there is little chance that you will find the object. Effective feedback is a crucial part of the goal-setting process. When effective feedback is given that helps you achieve your goals, employee performance will improve significantly. This feedback can come from managers as well as colleagues. Tell employees in a timely manner how they are doing, what is working and what is not working. Giving and requesting feedback is very easy through Treams' feedback module. In it you can also ask for 360-degree feedback from colleagues and externals.