|
ARCHIVE
|
Affordable Housing, Grandparents, Utah's Tax Structure
November 28, 2007
|
Vouchers, School District Splits, Voting
October 25, 2007
|
Concurrent Enrollment, ACT Scores, Stroke Prevention
September 26, 2007
|
Water, Climate, Health, Refugees
August 29, 2007
|
Utah Economy, Higher Ed and Poverty
July 25, 2007
|
[MORE]
|
|
|  |
|
|
The Beautiful Game
by Tricia Jack, MPA, CPPA Research Associate
There is something refreshing about a New Year. Now that the
holiday gifts are unwrapped and the parties are a distant memory, our thoughts
naturally turn to what we want to achieve in year ahead. For me, that usually
means getting to the gym more often, calling my family every weekend and eating
more veggies. When we set these goals, we really think we can deliver. Yet when
reality hits, it’s snowing outside and someone brings in leftover chocolates to
work, how long does this last? Maybe a week if I am lucky. What causes us to
lose the momentum to keep our goals and resolutions, and how does this relate
to management and leadership?
One thing is for sure: if we don’t ever set goals, we can’t
ever hope to achieve them! Abraham
Lincoln once said, “A goal properly set is halfway reached.” There is
something important about the process of considering what needs to be done and
planning how to get there. I have heard it said that the difference between a
goal and a dream is the piece of paper on which you write it down. Planning is
key.
Taking this idea further, it seems that the reason most
people never achieve their goals is that the goals are so vague that they don’t
lead to any real outcomes. Look at my own above: “get to the gym more often,”
“eat more veggies.” How more vague could
they possibly be? Likewise, leaders and managers who say “do your best” are
much less likely to have employees who perform well than those who set specific
and observable goals.
If you are familiar with the “beautiful game,” (soccer) then
you will know that for 90 minutes eleven members on each team run around
chasing a ball, aiming to shoot it into the goal. They have a specific purpose
and they all know what it is. Some players are defenders, seeking to stop the
other team from scoring, while others are midfielders, whose role it is to create
goal opportunities. Some are forwards, who have the task of actually putting
the ball in the net. They have a set time in which to achieve this. They have
encouragement and feedback along the way from the team manager (albeit on the
sidelines). They train for it. When the team finally scores, everyone cheers
and celebrates….and then they strive for another goal.
As leaders, there is a lot we can learn from this analogy.
For example, do our employees know what their purpose is? Do they know what we
expect of them? Do we think of ourselves as the midfielders, willing to run to
any part of the field to provide the opportunities (environment) to allow our
employees to reach their goals, and to stop the opponents (obstacles) from getting
in the way? Do we celebrate the achievement of goals?
Much of the research shows that employees whose managers set
specific goals perform better and work harder to reach them. In the words of T.S. Eliot, “Only those who will risk
going too far can possibly find out how far one can go.”
While we are contemplating our own personal New Year’s
resolutions, make it your goal as a leader to ensure your team will score this
year. Ready to play?
[PRINTER FRIENDLY VERSION]
|
|
| |
|
|
|
LETTERS
|
|
There are no letters for this article. To post your own letter, click Post Letter.
|
|
[POST LETTER]
|
|
|
|
