Successful Goals focus on Rewards for Everyone

It seems everyday, I am reminded of the importance of goal setting.  I recently met with my team’s management group to discuss our staff’s evaluations, and review the goals they set earlier in the year. On an individual level, I spent last week developing my own business and personal goals for a leadership course.

Formulating specific goals can be difficult as you need to ensure they are meaningful, measurable and realistic.  As I went through the process, I found it quite easy to come up with my personal goals, such as going to the gym three times a week, and  reading a novel each month. Every item on my list of personal

goals was one in which I controlled the outcome – everything was something that I have to do and if I do not, I do not accomplish my goals.

For some reason, my business goals were a little harder.  The difficulty did not lie in identifying areas of improvement, it related to how I would accomplish these goals.  Thinking more about it, I realized that in order for me to be successful with my business goals, “I” should really be “we” as I need to rely on others to achieve these goals.

Most businesses have the goal of increasing sales and improving the “bottom line” but have no idea how. Where the challenge truly lies is developing that action plan and following through, and these two steps are really the key to success.  I realize to be successful in business I need to engage my staff because they are the ones in the trenches: completing the files, working at the client sites, working with each other, etc.   I need them to point out areas of inefficiency and areas of opportunity to get me to my goal, which in turn I hope will be our goal.

- Ryan Dostie, CA, CFP
Welch LLP