By Chris Swistro
In this newsletter, we've been examining
different
aspects of successful workload management, most
recently focusing on delegation. We all know
there are
roadblocks on the pathway to attaining a well-
balanced workload, and I think it's important to
examine and address those as well. I've
talked to
several executives frustrated and struggling to
comprehend how their people had "missed the
boat"
on some of last year's goals. This frustration
highlights a common workload management
roadblock: gaining a shared
understanding of,
and
then attaining, specific business
goals, and
so that's
our focus this time.
Focus on the quality of outcomes
For most organizations, the first quarter is
when the
business goals for the year need to
transition from
ideas on paper to action. In order to
activate your plan
for the year, all the players on the team
must: #1: know
and understand the goals, #2: know and
understand
their role in attaining the goals, and #3:
know when
the goals have been attained. Organizations may
accomplish #1, but often fail to address #2
and #3.
Sometime organizations and individuals
struggle to discern the path between stated
goals and intended outcomes. A discussion
focused on how to know
when goals are attained is almost never part
of the
goal-setting process, but it is essential to
activating
the team and ultimately attaining the goals -
i.e.,
achieving the outcomes - you seek.
What can you do as an executive?
Characterize success. With a little extra
investment of
time now, executives can set themselves and
their
team up for success in attaining their
business goals
for the year. They key is to define and
communicate
the quality of the outcomes you are looking
for. This
approach is particularly important for things
like
organizational development goals, which may
not be
subject to clear, quantitative measures. For
each goal,
answer the questions: How will work be different
when the goal has been attained? How will roles
change? How will relevant processes be
easier? How
will internal/external customers be impacted?
The
answers to these questions will enable you to
characterize what success looks like so that
the whole
team will be pointed at the same target and know
when they hit it.
Measure progress against success
characteristics.
Clarity around the quality of outcomes you're
driving
toward also provides a powerful tool both for
measuring progress and engaging every team
member in the effort. Think about the team
behaviors
you'd expect to see in working toward the
goal and
then check for them early and often. If you
see those
behaviors, recognize them publicly,
reinforcing that
you're on the path to success. If you don't
see them,
use the success characteristics you've
defined to get
folks on track. Not only will this focus on
quality of
outcomes increase your likelihood of meeting
your
business goals, but it will also increase your
confidence that your team knows how to be
successful.
