Goal setting is something we do almost every day without much thought. I carry around a list of things-to-do with 50+ items on it. Most of these tasks are simple – respond thoughtfully to an email for example. Many are sub-tasks that contribute to a larger goal. Within this list are a several things I want to accomplish but tend to carry from week to week. A few align to personal or professional development objectives, but these are rare. Is a things-to-do list the acme of goal setting? I think not, but it is a list of what needs to be done…and a start.
In the simplest terms, a goal is what we must accomplish. They can be simple or complex, personal or professional, concrete or abstract. Goals are an end. They align a conclusion with action requiring ambition and drive. They tend to take time, serve a higher purpose, and usually have more than one way to achieve.
Goal setting can be a straightforward process for an individual, but organizations are inherently more complicated. Organizations have their own culture and incentive systems that subsume the desires and motivations of subordinate elements and individuals. An organizational goal requires supporting goals unique to the subgroups that compose the organization. Furthermore, individual motivation within those subgroups is also varied. Aligning all this to achieve a goal is certainly a task.
The first step in defining organizational goals is to set them apart from other tasks. The SMART acronym is a good place to start: specific, measurable, attainable or action-focused, realistic or relevant, tangible or time bound. SMART has a couple definitions, but the specifics do not matter as much as the outcome: clarity. Next, relate your goals to a bigger or higher echelon goal. If you are looking for a catch-all in the Army, go with readiness. The intent is to provide meaning so subordinates understand why the goal is, what the goal is. Lastly, ensure your goals are nested with your foundational documents – those ideas that define your organization like vision or overarching intent. Developing creative and adaptive leaders shouldn’t be a goal if leader development is not part of the organizational philosophy for example. Either the goal or the philosophy must change.
Next, set a hierarchy to prioritize goals within the organization. It is likely that you have multiple goals and putting them in order will help the team understand what comes first. This is particularly true with limited resources. The 4-Burner Theory lays this out well. If you have a 4-burner stove but six pots that need heat, you’ll have to prioritize. Anything moved to the front burner pushes something to the back. This is where goals can cause myopia. If you are focusing on something, there is something else you are not focused on. Prioritization is necessary to keep an organization on track but be wary – you could have target fixation.
Once clearly defined and prioritized, align the organization. Akin to getting the word out, this is where you get subgroups and individuals to understand and buy-in. Whether an order, vision quest, or simple staff meeting, the component tasks that make up the goal need to be communicated to the organization. A fantastic tool is counseling or your Evaluation Support Form even if you are not in the rating chain. In my last organization, the Command Sergeant Major counseled every platoon sergeant and the Executive Officer counseled every Troop Executive Officer; neither were in the rating chain. Furthermore, assign responsibility for tracking and achievement. In a battalion, a staffer will likely track progress while the subordinate units remain responsible for action to achieve the goal. Goals are useful in setting the direction only if organizational effort is aligned to achieve them.
The next step is to develop a system to maintain focus and track progress over time. Entropy exists and and focus will wane over time. Using a routine organizational meeting, such as command and staff, training, or maintenance meeting, provides a good venue to keep focus. This is also an opportunity to ensure tracking meets ground truth – that staff and subordinate units agree on the level of progress. If they do not agree, you have a chance to identify the cause of the disagreement. Routine touch points allow you to see if what you are doing, is working. Are the rifle companies and the medical officer tracking the same number of immunizations needed? No? Might a delay between when the Soldier gets a shot and when the system is updated to explain a gap? These routine checks keep the organization focused towards goal accomplishment and provide an opportunity to investigate when progress is below expectation.
Lastly, motivate the team to accomplish the goal. This part requires finesse because motivation tends to vary from person to person. Daniel Pink describes three elements of motivation in his book Drive. We desire autonomy, mastery, and purpose. Rewards and punishments might work for simple tasks like completing immunizations but complex tasks like building creative and adaptive leaders requires something else. Leverage the idea that people want to direct themselves, have urge to get better at something that matters, and want to be part of something bigger than themselves to motivate the organization.
There are a few simple ideas to help realize organizational goal achievement. It is an endeavor that requires clearly defined goals, organizational alignment, the ability to track progress, and constant motivation. Without goals, an organization will lack focus and direction and any endeavor is worth undertaking. With goals in mind, organizational leaders achieve something far beyond a things-to-do list.
Subscribe to The Field Grade Leader!
LTC L’Heureux is currently an instructor at the School of Command Preparation. An Armor officer, he served primarily in cavalry and infantry assignments within Stryker Brigade Combat Teams with operational experience in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Europe. He recently relinquished command of 2d Squadron, 2d Cavalry Regiment at Rose Barracks, Vilseck, Germany.