Has this ever happened to you? You’ve planned to achieve a goal (SMART Goal and the works) and done the required actions.

You’ve reached milestones along the way and actually getting close to goal achievement only to fail at the last hurdle?

It happens.

I’ve seen this more times than I can remember when it comes to job hunting whether it’s been my experience or that of others.

And it’s confusing. Especially if you’re on a job hunt, passing all the rounds only to get stumped at the final interview.

The head-hunter tells you that the prospective employer liked you but there was another stronger candidate who got the prize trophy – the job offer and appointment letter.

That’s exactly what happened with a professional who contacted me on LinkedIn looking for answers for failed last round interviews.

In her case, it wasn’t a one off but a series of interviews for jobs where she appeared to be well-qualified and then losing out in the final round.

This lady is a complete stranger and I don’t know her which made it difficult to assess if she was doing something wrong or dig into the deeper issues.

Since she wasn’t interested in talking to me and was looking for a Band-Aid solution. She didn’t understand that there could be deeper issues or the fact that she was positioning herself as a commodity.

The only suggestions I could give her were to get feedback from the head-hunter who was sending her for interviews, reflect on what could be a common factor in all these failed interviews and fix it.

That seemed to be her quick fix solution and hopefully she’ll get the job next time round.

But there is more to nailing the final job interview in a market where there is no dearth of talent. One simply has to stand out from the noise at each step of the job hunt process starting right from the job application to the last round.

It requires shifts in behaviour and especially mind-set to emerge a winner.

If you too have had this experience, then this post is meant for you. I’m outlining a 4-step reverse goal setting process that will improve your chances of getting the job.

A different approach to goal achievement – Reverse Engineering

In goal setting, whether it’s for a new job or desired results, most of us normally begin building our plan from start to finish that would move us from Point A to Point B.

We set up the S.M.A.R.T Goal, outlining the steps we’d take as well as the date by which each step would need to be completed.

In essence we create a forward-looking plan.

With reverse goal setting or goal engineering, we aren’t simply reversing the direction of the plan but are adopting a different perspective to enable us to identify what it’s actually going to take to achieve our desired result.

Instead of looking at chronological steps first, we look at the activities we need to do and then put them in a chronological order.

It changes our perspective because we might discover there are steps where more effort or research is required in the goal achievement process.

This approach ties up with out of the box thinking and is a complementary resource to traditional goal setting because it provides us with more alternatives and a robust plan of action to achieve the end result.

There are different approaches to reverse goal setting depending upon the goal to be achieved.

It could be a case of outlining milestones that will lead to the final outcome or prioritizing activities and then taking action to achieve them.

Here’s how I would approach it using the example of performing well in the final interview round.

Step 1: Begin with the end in mind – what’s your ultimate goal?

This step is no different from the traditional goal planning method because in order to achieve a goal, we need to determine what our desired end result is.

We need to determine the outcome and a specific date of completion and then move to the second step.

In our final interview round example, we’d state our ultimate goal as

By X date, I will have an appointment letter for Y job.

Considering that we need to take into account factors that are outside our control or sphere of influence, let’s rephrase it to a more realistic goal

By X date, I will give an interview that makes me the most viable candidate for the job and the hiring company considers my candidature seriously.

Step 2: The Brain Dump

The next step is to get all the ideas that you have to achieve your goal down in writing and organize them.

Get a piece of paper and pen or open a document on your computer and set the timer for 15 minutes.

During these 15 minutes write down every idea you have to achieve the goal.

Don’t stop to consider if it’s a good idea or not or whether it’s a workable idea. That comes later. Right now, we need to brainstorm on what possible actions we can take to achieve our goal.

Now look at the list and sort out the activities that are doable and will help you get to your goal and those that while they sound good on paper are not feasible for the goal or not that important.

Make as good a note as you can about the time and resources you will need for each activity.

Transfer the doable ones which you think are important on a clean sheet of paper.

In our example the brainstorming ideas could include:

Read the papers for any news about the company

Find out more about the interviewing team

Get teeth cleaned by a dentist before final round so I have a shiny toothy smile (grooming for executive presence)

Research the company for details that I can use to show I’m aware about their corporate culture

What kind of questions can I be asked, how do I prepare for them?

How can I demonstrate Executive Presence? (The checklist and extra tips in the below freebie answers this question)

Step 3: Prioritize your activities

Armed with our list, the next step is to prioritize our activities and list them in the order that we need to achieve them.

Think about creating a starting outline to begin the sequencing.

Each of these activities might require being set up as mini-goals in which case, subject them to the SMART Goal layout. These will also become your milestones if required.

In our example, it would be the activities and things we need to do to prepare for the interview.

Step 4: Implementing our goal based strategy

We know our goal and priority of our activities. We also have timelines for each activity.

Ask yourself what top priority milestone or activity you need to accomplish, in order to achieve your ultimate goal. What do you have to do and by when, so that you’re in a position to reach your final objective.

It is much easier to create your calendar by working backwards – keeping the end in mind.

• Identify the date by which your goal should be completed.
• Identify the last step you must do before the goal’s due date.
• Identify the next to the last step; the third to the last, and continue until you finish putting all the steps in reverse order.

It’s possible that you might have to move the steps around until you create your final plan of action.

In our example, it is obviously to give an excellent final round interview that makes us the most viable candidate but we need to prepare for the final interview.

In the following section, I’m going to share 4 suggestions about the preparation for the final interview which should appear in your brainstorming step as well as in your implementation step.

4 Prep for Success Interview Questions you need to Nail

Position yourself apart from the crowd

This comes back to standing out from above the noise and being noticed by the interviewers as having something more to offer.

Considering everyone who has applied for the job had the same qualifications and those with better credentials and experience have also reached the final round, how will you position yourself?

The short answer is to avoid positioning yourself as a commodity but as a resource that will give the employer a high ROI.

Get clear on the message that you want to convey in the final round and the skills that you bring to the table that nobody else will.

Research and understand the problems that the prospective employer has and demonstrate your strengths  as well as  USP (Unique Selling Proposition) to solve those problems.

Get feedback and support from your head-hunter or referral source

I recommend preparing for the interview by checking in with the recruiter or referral about the nature of the interview. Ask for any specific information that can help you.

Every company conducts final interviews differently and it’s better to be prepared.

Will there be a personality assessment? A Group setting? Anything that you need to pay attention to?

Once you know you’ve made it to the final round, ask the recruiter questions like

What advice do you have for me going into the final interview?

Don’t get fobbed off with advice like be yourself. You need to know which strengths are to be highlighted as well as the interview format so you come in prepared.

Prepare for the cultural fit question

Cultural fit is an important factor nowadays and you might be asked this question.

It’s time to do some due diligence on the company and their culture.

Prepare for this question by reaching out to your network for people who know about the company.

Check them out on Google and LinkedIn for any information that can give you insights. (This blog post has more ideas for the due diligence sources)

Being technically competent for the job might not be enough.

Your answers should demonstrate your awareness about the company’s vision, mission and other information. Show how you would adapt quickly to the workplace.

How will you handle the compensation question?

This question often comes up at the final interview. You need to be prepared to answer it even if the recruiter has already shared the salary range.

Compensation is only one factor in changing jobs. Gain a handle on what you earn so you can provide it to the potential employer upfront when they ask about your Cost to Company (CTC). Many of the job adverts also talk in terms of CTC.

Your compensation is not just your salary but all the other benefits that you receive. Different companies have different compensation programs and some of them can be quite complicated.

Nevertheless, some idea is better than no idea. Some of the considerations include your base salary, band increments, bonus, employee stock options, restricted stock units, profit sharing distributions, overtime compensation, annual paid leave, medical leave, health insurance cover and other related insurance programs, car loans, car allowances, corporate credit card, superannuation, pension fund.

Research what compensation packages are offered in your industry for the position you are being interviewed for.

Nowadays, a Google search or looking at industry specific websites can provide you with the additional information.

Don’t worry if you don’t have an exact figure. You need to simply have a good figure to compare with any job that you decide to target or get interviewed for.

Also consider asking questions about the package that is being offered and be open to negotiation.

Your turn, how do you prepare for the final interview round?

Do you find it difficult to overcome obstacles to your life-goals?

The reason I’m asking this question is because quite often when I speak to people about what stopped them from achieving a goal that was important for them, whether it’s one related to their career, business or life, I’m told about all the obstacles that they found along the way that made them give up.

For sure we hit roadblocks and hurdles but that doesn’t grant us a permission slip to drop the goal unless the goal that we set fulfills 2 criteria

First, it was the wrong goal for us at that moment of time.

For example deciding to go on a diet when we know it’s the peak season at work and deadlines have to be met at the peril of losing our job. That’s the time when our eating and exercising habits can go haywire and we might not be in a position to cope. Timing matters.

Secondly, if our motivation level isn’t high enough; in other words, on a scale of 1 to 10, you aren’t on at least and 8.

What if motivation is high and the time is right and yet, we’re struggling?

Based on my observations (including my own habits) there’s usually an issue of mindset, strategy and tactics that need to be addressed.

I have covered that in my Kindle ebook Goal Achievement Simplified: When Your Actions Give Results and this week, my post is an extract from that ebook to give the reader insights of areas that they might need to address first in order to get their goal in the box.

Here 10 tips that can give you the power to overcome the road blocks that keep you from reaching for the stars.

1. Identify Your Rationale. In order for your goal to be backed up with motivation, you must take to heart its significance to you. Identify the purpose of your goal. Point out its benefits and its would-be results in your life.

2. Make SMART Goals. Following from identifying the rationale, make sure that the goals are SMART – specific, measurable, action oriented, realistic and time bound. Goal achievement requires accountability to yourself and being clear about what you want, how much you want, what you are willing to do, how realistic your goal is and by when do you want to achieve the goal. Otherwise your goal will be nothing less than wishful thinking.

3. Do a personal SWOT analysis. Before moving ahead with your goal planning, do a personal SWOT analysis. Have an honest look at what internal and external factors can affect the success or failure of your goal success. Internal factors would include strengths and weaknesses while external factors would include opportunities and threats. For example, a person trying to lose weight analyses the following factors – strength: willpower, weakness: finds chocolates tempting, opportunities: a new aerobics class is starting which one can enroll in for exercise to burn calories and threats: weekly office outing to a restaurant where one can eat all one can.   

4. Plan Your Goals. One of the main reasons why goals fail is that there is no detailed plan to accomplish the goal. Set a plan for each step that you will take in accomplishing your goal. As you progress through each step, if there is a need to, modify your plan by adding or deleting details. Consider making two plans, if one proves to be impractical; there is another plan to fall back on.

5. Maintain your Focus. Stick to your plan to the letter. Be consistent in the path that you take. Keep your energy flowing towards that direction. Be aware if plan A is failing and move into plan B to continue forward movement.

6. Avoid losing momentum. Whatever happens, do not stop working on your plan. As much as possible, do not be contented with what you currently have. Start with what you have at hand and work from there.

7. Monitor yourself. Always ask yourself if there is something else you can do. Find out if there are still alternatives you can think of. Ask yourself if there is something else you need to know. Look at your plan in different angles. Keep a weekly chart or diary of your mini achievements to keep up your motivation. Note the setbacks and think, how they can be avoided in future.  

8. Keep in mind that no idea is insignificant. Good ideas suddenly pop up then just burst like bubbles. Jot them down as soon as they come to mind. Have a notebook handy to write down these details when they pop up. This is a good way to prevent these details from being lost.

9. Always think positive. Be conscious about what you say and think. Lay aside your doubts. Despite the obstacles you encounter, believe that your goal is attainable. Affirm yourself at all times, with words of positivity and hope. A positive mindset is very important in the attainment of your goals. Visualize the achievement of the goal and how you would feel at that point to spur you into continuing action.

10. Fuel your Goals with Gratitude. To keep your spirits high, be thankful for having these goals. Goals give direction and guidelines by which you live your life. Goals nourish one’s being. Being appreciative of your goals strengthens your foresight and keeps you humble and open-minded. It empowers your motivation and willpower and makes even the smallest task meaningful. In all your undertakings, learn to practice gratitude.

Following these empowerment tips push you on your way to achieving your goals. Take these to heart, and jump start your journey to goal-getting today! Remember to celebrate each and every step of the journey!

What strategies, tactics or mindset management activities do you utilize to achieve your goals?

There’s a reason I’m asking whether the goals you are setting are really fulfilling a need. It’s an important reason when it comes to successful goal achievement.

Picture this in your mind.

You have a goal.  You have read all about SMART goals.

You tweak your goal to be SMART and set off to achieve it.

Somewhere along the way, you realize that you are not getting the results that you want. Other more important matters keep taking precedence. You start to lose your motivation.

End result, you give up your goal, SMART or not. SMART Goals are great. But when the goal does not take into account the person’s or teams needs, capabilities and strengths, then it becomes a not so SMART goal.

Think about relay races. To the outsider, it may appear that four people are running a particular distance in quick time and handing over the baton at each lap. The team with the fastest time who doesn’t drop the baton wins. Right?

Wrong!!!

The coach and the relay team would have spent hours assessing the importance of placement of each team member in the relay. Who can give the fastest lead, who can sustain the middle laps and who has the ability to sprint the team to glory?  Each member’s strengths and weaknesses would have been scrutinized with nothing being left to chance. No wonder sportsmen are gracious whether they win or lose and say that the better team, NOT the best team won.

Without a shadow of a doubt, all teams and their coaches would have gone through their own SWOT analysis but there is one more factor that creates the difference. That factor is called level of Motivation.

My point is, before setting off to make Goals it is more important to understand oneself and what makes one tick. Once you know what motivates you, half the journey is done and then it is simply going through the motions to success.

Veteran goal setters know that motivation is a key factor to goal achievement. If your heart isn’t in it, then you lose even before the race to goal achievement starts. For example, you want to shed a few kilos and make it a goal. You might go on a diet and lose a kilo or two and then gain it back.

However, if you have a motivating factor, like a health reason or looking good for a particular occasion and you know how much to lose with a specific timeline, you improve the chances of goal achievement.

In the process, you set up a SMART goal.

SMART Goal & SWOT Analysis, you need this X Factor for Success

Abraham Maslow’s pyramid called the Hierarchy of Needs Motivational Model (see diagram) states that unsatisfied needs motivate people. There is a hierarchy of these needs and until the lower needs are met, the person does not advance to the higher needs.

Maslow’s model was based on 5 needs. The base of the pyramid comprises the lower-end needs that must be fulfilled before the higher end needs start to influence your motivation.

The four levels (lower-order needs) are considered physiological needs, while the top level is considered growth needs. Maslow’s hierarchy implies that the lower level needs need to be satisfied before higher-order needs can influence behavior.

In other words, if you are suddenly made redundant and need to find a job to avoid foreclosure of your mortgage, you really would not be interested in pursuing self-actualization needs until you have secured your physiological and safety needs.

From a goal setting perspective, Maslow’s model can provide invaluable input in identifying target areas for your goal setting as well as the areas that can prove to be stumbling blocks while you try to achieve your goals.

Coming back to the weight loss example, if the ultimate goal motivation based on Esteem needs is not compromising your Biological needs of food or any of the other lower needs, you stand a better chance.

In other words, going on a diet does not mean going into starvation mode or spending hours at the gym, but ensuring that the approach does not affect any of the lower level needs resulting in self-created roadblocks thus allowing you to focus on a higher need with the right motivation.

Coming full circle to the question, what about you? Do your goals really meet your needs?

If you are a DIY fan, then this Kindle book has been written just for you. It also includes a gift of special goal setting and achieving forms because your success matters – to me. 

Have you ever experienced the pain and frustration associated with following new trends, ideas or techniques because you found out that others were using them?

How did you to justify the need to jump in with the rest?

Did you assume it would make you more efficient or keep you in the competition, whether for a career progression or in your business?

There is a good reason why I’m asking this.

Last week I wrote my post about supporting our reporting colleagues at the office. I shared 3 tips on how to help bring out their best when they need a champion like true leaders.

Here’s the link in case you haven’t seen the blog post.

How to bring out the best in reporting colleagues

Was this chasing a Shiny Object or Resume boost? 

Call it a matter of coincidence, but a few days later; I got a request via Quora for an answer. A young lady wanted to know what certifications she could get to boost her resume.

From her question and details of her present education, I am gathering that she is either at the early stages of her career or about to enter the job market. I sensed a struggle to get a placement.

There were already a couple of answers which guided her to create her CV and tons of helpful tips. This was the best that professionals whom she had approached could answer for a generic question.

One of the other answers had spoken about passion and yes, that is important as is inherent ability, talent and inclinations.

Yet strangely, no one asked her what she wanted to do for her career and then guide her about her choice of certifications to her existing college degree.

Typical of me, I asked and made it clear that it all depended upon the kind of job or industry that she wished to pursue for a career.

You can acquire many certificates for courses that you do, whether online or offline. But if it isn’t relevant to the prospective employer, you won’t get an invitation to a job interview leave alone land the job.

Since she hadn’t provided any specific information, it was difficult to make any solid suggestions for her to research.

The best advice I could give was that she first decides upon what she intended to do.

Then, consult a professional career counselor for guidance on further studies to make her CV attractive to a prospective employer or recruiter which would also build on her bachelor’s degree in commerce foundation.

A bigger coincidence was the topic of my teleclass that month was on avoiding shiny object syndrome for business success and here is someone who is on the verge of heading off to indulge in the same activity for her career!

To give her some credit, she had taken the time to consult Quora members for some guidance which if not provided with due care could send her off in search of El Dorado without improving her job prospects.

She’d end up with a CV laden with diplomas and certificates. This would have then created the problem of being overqualified for a job that might just be the right fit for her.

How can career professionals avoid falling into the Shiny Object Syndrome trap?

Here are 2 tips for the career professionals.

Firstly, be careful about following your passion and getting more certifications in that area unless it is one where there is an active job market.

Prospective employers won’t hire you for your passion unless it is aligned with their passion, and you have skills to match it.

A better way out is to do volunteer work in your spare time to find a creative expression. Use that experience to spruce up your CV for skills that you have learned, and which can be useful in your job.

For more details on how to do it, read my post Putting Unpaid and Volunteer work in your Resume

Secondly instead of joining every new course that you see on the internet or in the newspapers, think before you jump.

Create a professional development plan. Explore learning skills that help bridge any competency gap that can act as a barrier to your career progression.

Read about how I enhanced my own professional development plan and more tips in my post Did you know that a competency gap can affect your career prospects?

Business Owners too can catch flu like symptoms when faced with shiny objects

I’ve seen a lot of this in new business owners or self-employed professionals who have taken the decision to follow their dream. A whole new world opens up to us. The scenarios are different to the ones that we have been used to back in the job world. It is but natural to want to experiment as part of our own learning process.

The problem starts when we continue learning without implementing or even stopping to think whether the learning or activity is relevant to our business.

We experience FOMO – Fear of Missing Out.

I’ll be honest with you – once upon a time I was immune to shiny objects. When I started my own business, I had to learn about new ways of marketing that was different to the accounting profession. I found myself ensnared by the charms of the bright shiny object.

So, it’s safe to admit that I’ve been there and done that. I want to share my finger burnt knowledge with you through my Kindle ebook Cure Shiny Object Syndrome.

This book not only discusses our biggest enemy – the Bright Shiny Object, but also shows you practical steps that will get you demolishing this bane of your business.

Do you feel you need to take stock of your version of Shiny Object Syndrome?

You’re invited to get your copy of Cure Shiny Object Syndrome today by clicking on the book image below or here.

Your turn. Have you ever experienced shiny object syndrome, whether in your personal life, career or business?

How did you tackle this time and money wasting monster?

Do you use efficient Time Targets?

I ask because during a recent conversation with a friend on Twitter, we discovered that we both use Time Targets although differently. The Twitter friend uses a Monthly planner whereas I use a Weekly one. The beauty is that we both achieve what we set out to do and are on top of our game when it comes to time management. We use Time Targets.

• Forward looking Time Targets in the presentations prepared by listed companies for their investors
• Business plans whether by start-up companies or those seeking funding for expansion
• If you are being interviewed for a job, sooner or later you will be asked the question “Where do you see yourself in 5 years?”
• Setting up Professional Development Plans at work – Performance Time Targets for the coming year

Effective time managers know the value of time. They use time efficiently and effectively to achieve goals. They know that simply setting up SMART goals is not enough. Success lies in the fine print.

Here are 5 suggested tips for managing your own Time Targets.

Know your final objective and timeline

Tip #1: When setting up your goals, think ahead about what you really want to achieve. Break it into smaller time bytes and min-bytes with milestones to monitor your success.

Eliminate your time-wasting activities

The best managers I have met are territorial about their time. They know their time management quadrants on the back of their hand and focus on those activities that are either important but not urgent or ones where they alone can do a task. All other activities are delegated to those who can perform the task competently to achieve results.

Tip# 2: Record your activities during the day for 1 week and analyse, which activities were productive and which ones could have been avoided or were simply time fillers. Eliminate those activities from your routine which waste time or can be reduced. A good example is the phone calls from people who call and talk on hours for end with complete disregard for the fact that you might be busy. Politely tell the caller that you are in the middle of something and will call back later. Of course, do make it a point to return the call!

Know your time vampires- strategise to get rid of them

Others call them time encroachers; I call them time vampires as they leave me drained of energy!  These vampires think only of themselves and will thoughtlessly take up your time if you allow them to.

This could be in the form of telephone calls or emails. I had one vampire attack a few weeks back where I received 13 emails within the hour and 7 more the next day from someone who was trying to create a business alliance. No second guessing that the vampire was told politely that there were no mutual benefits in the proposed alliance and the potential business deal which if given the gift of time to understand, went down the drain.

Tip# 3: An effective Time Target manager learns to use the gifts of instinct and observation powers to size up the people they come into contact with and help them to get to the key point quickly. Be alert when communicating with others, particularly by email otherwise you will get stuck in unnecessary correspondence without achieving much for either party.

Do unto others as you would want done unto you

Sound familiar? It is great to complain about time wasting people but how about your own actions? Do you encroach on others time? Do you ramble on and first discuss the state of the nation and other matters before coming to the reason for calling? Are you acting like a time vampire? When you call, do you make it a point to ask the other person if it is a good time to talk? Unless you have Superman vision, you would not know what the other person is doing when you call. If the person is in front of you, observe body language as a cue for timing.

Tip# 4: When dealing with others, respect their time. Don’t “drop in” and encroach on the time of a busy person. If the other person finds value in what you are proposing, they will make time to understand the opportunity and discuss it further either right there and then or plan for a more constructive meeting at an opportune time. Win-Win is the name of the game.

Be fluid and flexible with your Time Targets

Even the best plans can go wrong or off track. This often happens because new factors come into the picture which was not there when you were earlier setting up your Time Targets.

Companies know that which is why they assess their business plans and targets on a regular basis and tweak their plans to incorporate these new factors. It does not mean that the Time Targets have failed, just that with the passage of time, the targets have shifted and require a revisit..Instead of rigidly sticking to the original plan, they modify it to achieve the ultimate goal – Success.

Tip# 5: Understand that you can only impact things that you can control. When factors that you don’t have control over crop up, then the best way to deal with them is to make action plans that play around these factors. Keep your focus on the ultimate goal at all times. Be fluid and flexible willing to change in the light of circumstances.

These are just 5 tips. There are lots of others than we learn from experience. Do you have any of your own? Please do share in the comments box below!

Time Target tips

www.karmicallycoaching.com

Have you checked my Kindle book on Goal Achievement Simplified? It will help you to get your goals done in a timely manner – the way Messi does! Click the link below or on the image to learn more. The book includes some extra goal getting tools too.

Goal Achievement Simplified: When Your Actions Give Results

Written by: Vatsala Shukla

This week I’m celebrating the completion of a long-cherished dream. I finally wrote a book that simplifies Goal Setting and Achievement with a look back at my own childhood and my favorite activity of creating To Do Lists.

On being crowned ‘Miss To Do List’

Every family has that one individual whose antics are a source of amusement. In our family, I wore the coveted crown for many years until a pair of dachshunds joined our family.

Then their progeny gave enough competition for me to bail out gracefully. I could only mutter I had to make way for new talent!

One of my habits, which has since been adopted by my family related to my tendency to write things down. It did not matter what I was writing, it had to be done in style and in an eye-appealing manner.

I bought special colored stationery to prepare my To Do Lists. Goal Setting was done in an equally attractive manner. No wonder my father nick-named me Miss To-Do List!

Those were the pre-computer days (other than the big IBM machines and data card entry), yet I managed to inspire myself. Now my mantra for happiness includes PowerPoint templates and colored printouts.

But no one could deny the fact that I got things done, efficiently and effectively.

My tribe started with my family and went on to gather members from my friends and associates. I gather new converts whenever and wherever I can to the art of writing down goals. Yes, the famous To-Do List.

I read an article sometime back which mentioned that studies have found that only 5% of adults ever write their goals. It got me wondering, is there a correlation between written goals and goal achievement? I believe there is.

Why it makes sense to write down goals

The beauty of writing down goals and tasks for that matter is that one tends to look at them, think about them and finally action them. It is easier to monitor progress and adjust strategy before the goal goes for a toss.

If the goal is a mental one, it stays that way. The mind has enough to think about.

If the goal is overtaken by urgent and important matters, then the probability of it being pushed to the backburner increases. That’s until such time that the goal too acquires an urgent and important status.

Writing down goals can be a simple exercise and not an elaborate power point presentation. The point is to put it down in writing so that you can see the goal for what it is and not what you think it is.

We talk of SMART Goals but how would you know if your goal is SMART if you cannot see the pieces and the strategy for goal success?

Are there any missing pieces to your strategy jig-saw puzzle?

Write it down and look at it. Quite possibly the missing pieces may take you in another direction. Sometimes, more important goals or steps are required before starting on the goal you really want to achieve.

Once you have put your SMART Goals down in print, preparing an action plan is the next step.

It means breaking down tasks into smaller ones where the sum of the small tasks equals achieving the main task and perhaps even more.

You need to know where you might encounter roadblocks or need to tweak and improve your skills. More importantly, it means taking stock of your skills and strengths.

When the goal is in writing, there is a means of tracking your progress and maintaining accountability.

Written evidence of success helps to boost your self-confidence. It provides evidence of your achievements to pull you through difficult times when facing setbacks and a morale boost is required.

Monitoring your progress also helps to identify what is working and what is not. For the latter, be flexible and make the necessary adjustments while keeping your focus on the end goal.

Take heart and put pen to paper or fingers to computer keys and create your SMART Goals with an Action Plan.

Better yet, acquire a copy of my Kindle book by clicking on the image or here

Goal Achievement Simplified – When Your Actions Give Results

Do you write down your Goals and create Action Plans? 

Everyone knows about personal development plans and self-improvement plans but what about professional development?

Advancements in technology, techniques, methodology and information take place rapidly. The skills or knowledge you learned earlier put you in danger of being made redundant. Unless you keep upgrading your skills and enhancing your knowledge to stay relevant.

This does not mean going out and signing up for all the training programmes that your organization offers or that appears in advertisements whether you read them in the newspapers or receive email alerts.

It means recognizing a potential competency gap, upgrading existing skill sets or learning new skills to keep up with the world and your career goals.

We all have career goals whether long term ones like retiring wealthy at 50 or becoming the CEO of our organizations within 5 years.

Simpler short-term ones could be a promotion at the next appraisal round or being made project leader for career enhancing assignments.

Over time, our needs can change which require us to revisit our career needs first.

All career goals require professional development.

Once you know your career goal, which should be SMART, compare your present skills and experience to that required for successful goal achievement.

Honestly look at your present situation. Determine if there are gaps in what you need to be able to do and what you are able to do.

Identify the skill gaps requiring to be covered by further professional development

Some questions would be:

Do I need to upgrade my qualifications or education?

Do I need to master or upgrade a particular set of skills?

Should I ask for more experience in my own department or approach my manager for a short-term secondment?

Are there in-house training programmes that cover my requirements or external ones that fit my need?

How much would the upgrade or new skills cost?

Would I be willing to invest in myself? 

It often helps to talk to your immediate supervisor and peers to get feedback. This identifies developmental areas which might be visible to others but not to you.

Some professional development needs might be met through reading journals in your area of specialization, attending seminars, webinars and workshops.

Others might require further studies or going on courses. Some of these might require sponsorship from your employer to cover the cost.

Here we need the involvement of other parties such as your immediate supervisor, the Human Resources department and those who would authorize the expenditure.

Or it could be an existing skill that needs an upgrade. Like Public Speaking.

AI in 2025 means You need to make sure of job security

I wrote about leadership challenges and AI as part of my yearend series in 2023. One area where many business leaders had concerns was of the impact on the workforce.

Now, in 2025, there have been big shifts, especially in finance and IT. Downsizing IS happening.

July 2025 brought news of more downsizing on deployment of AI. This time by Tata Consultancy Services, off around 2% of its workforce over the course of FY26 got me thinking.

According to reports, this move will impact more than 12,000 employees across geographies, primarily at the middle and senior levels,

It’s also clear by now that across industries, companies are reorganizing themselves around AI. Some are doing it strategically. Others are moving fast, cutting roles, and hoping the tools will do the heavy lifting.

But here’s what’s often getting lost in the shuffle: the human impact.

People are watching colleagues lose jobs overnight. Teams are being told to “leverage AI” without clear training or guidance. And leaders are balancing a fine line between innovation and instability.

If leaders don’t guide this transition thoughtfully, they risk losing both talent and trust — not just to layoffs, but to confusion, burnout, and fear.

This isn’t just about job losses. It’s about what the future of work will actually feel like.

Will we create environments where people feel empowered to adapt and grow?

Or will we send the message that their experience is disposable?

The companies that win won’t just be the fastest adopters of AI — they’ll be the ones that bring their people with them.

Here’s what I tell anyone worried about redundancy: upskill with purpose.

Make yourself both relevant and transferable within your organization. Learn the tools. Understand the strategy behind the tools. And stay visible — not just as a doer, but as a thinker who can help others navigate change.

You need to make a business case to justify the expenditure on relevant courses

While preparing the business case make sure you are able to present the answers to Who, What, Where, Why and How questions.

If the course is relevant to your current position or will enable you to add further value to your organization, given a logical business case presentation, authorization would be possible.

Treat professional development as an investment in yourself. At the end of the day, if you do not look after yourself, no one else will.

This post was originally written in January 2013 and has been updated in July 2025 for relevance and new resources.