As entrepreneurs, we tend to be natural goal setters and achievers.  We set business and personal goals and are constantly striving to achieve the life of our dreams.  Here’s the thing though, most of our team members have never been exposed to goal setting and are often living from paycheque to paycheque.  In order to ensure that they don’t feel that their existence is only to help you achieve your goals, it is imperative that you help them set and achieve their goals.

Your team spends a lot of time together and work hard to help your business grow.  Creating an environment that helps them set and achieve their goals will often result in increased morale, increased job satisfaction, and an overall feeling that you and the business care about the livelihood of your people.

Implementing this is simple.  Here is what we recommend:

1. Set a time to hold an offsite workshop with your team – allow 2 – 3 hours.  The reason I recommend doing this offsite is it allows everyone to be focused and avoids the distraction of phones and emails.
2. Share with them the importance of goal setting and why you want to introduce this to the business.
3. Do a ‘Wheel of Life’ exercise so everyone can evaluate all areas of their life.
4. Introduce the ‘Bucket List’ concept and have them create a bucket list.
5. Ask them to set goals for the next 12 months – in any area of their life.  At this time introduce the SMART goal setting principle to them (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Rewarding, Timely).
6. Ask them to choose their number 1 goal, share this with the team and then create an action plan for this goal.

Step 6 is the most important and also the most powerful.  It will bring the team together and create excitement and positive energy within the business.  What’s amazing is that unconsciously everyone starts working out how they can help each other achieve the goals shared. 

Now, while this sounds easy to do, it is also easy not to do.  You may think it’s not necessary or won’t make a difference.  Believe me, when your people feel that you care and want more for them, they will give you and the business so much more.  Long and short is that if you create an environment of goal setting and achievement, this will filter throughout the entire business and inevitably lead to great results for everyone.