Why goals must remain flexible
This year I wanted to fulfill a long-cherished dream. I wanted to cycle 2600 km to Gibraltar on vacation. As a multiple Ironman participant and enthusiastic cyclist, I had this goal clearly in mind for years. The tour was supposed to take place in June. But then …
The date was getting closer and closer – but there was no time to train. Various commitments, the cold and wet weather until the end of April and an illness lasting several weeks prevented me from preparing as well as possible. And so it became increasingly clear to me: It won’t work. And now? Now it’s time to be flexible and redefine the goals.
All of you are probably familiar with such examples. Not only in private life, but especially in the professional environment. This is where goals are extremely important. Because if the goals are missing, where do I steer my company? If I don’t know what I want to achieve, how do I achieve anything at all?
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How do I define my goals?
But what actually is a goal? For me, having a goal means defining what I want to achieve. In an entrepreneurial environment, this could mean what sales figures are on paper at the end of the year or how I would like to run my company.
When I set myself a goal, I check it in advance using parameters that are based on my own experience on the one hand and a method by Alfred Stielau-Pallas on the other. I ask myself the following questions before I define a goal:
- Is the goal meaningful and motivating?
- Is the goal specific and measurable?
- Is the goal realistic and achievable?
- Is the goal time limited?
- Is the goal flexible to some degree?
- Can the goal be visualized?
- Can the goal be formulated in writing?
Concrete but flexible goals: example increase in sales
An increase in company turnover is certainly sensible and motivating. But don’t make your sales growth goals too general. A goal like, “I want to increase my sales this year” leads to nothing. Instead, specifically: I want to increase my sales by amount X and make a profit of amount Y.
This goal must be realistic enough that you can achieve it within a year. But is it also flexible? What happens if you don’t reach this goal? Do you then have problems with financing or with other business partners? In this example probably the simplest point, can you imagine your company with your target turnover?
I assume the answer here is quite clear: yes. But now it is important, can you put the concrete plans in writing on how you want to achieve this goal? If you can back all of these questions with facts and answer yes, you know it makes sense to move toward that goal and work out the specific steps to get there.
Increase in sales: goals for all areas of life
Working out goals in this way proves to be useful in all areas of life. But as entrepreneurs, we have a special duty of care when defining our goals. After all, it’s not just about us, but also about many jobs.
Therefore, it is important to assess how realistic a goal is. The exchange with the employees should not be underestimated in this regard. Because if they don’t support the goals and associated tasks, we can let it be.
By the way, I still won’t miss a bike tour this summer. I’m going to start crossing the Alps this week, which is feasible given my current level of training, and I can combine my professional and private goals with this intermediate goal. Gibraltar then in 2024!
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