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Stay the Course – S.M.A.R.T Goals for Navigation

April 6, 2011

All of us Startup Princesses have seen, read or at least heard of the Titanic right? The most awesomevessel of its time with a romance tucked in its core. After we have put away our tissues and, as I dowith many things, think about how it could have been different (I love happy endings), I try to relate it tobusiness. Historians and titanic enthusiast would say the ship was either going too fast and/or it steeredright into a ginormous iceberg. I would sum it up as sub-par steering and the stars aligning.
Everyone’s business is, in a way, a ship navigating through the treacherous seas of bookkeeping,management, product formulation, business planning, growth, quality, service and a thousand otherthings. Not to mention all of the balancing that most of us have to do on the tight rope of our chosen voyage.

EXCITING!!!

What tools do we need to successfully sail or fire up both engines to reach our sought horizon of up andto the right (growth)?
Too many to list in one blog or by one person but here is a baby step….

GOAL Setting!

Here is a quick hot sheet for a method that has been added to over time by so many people that it can’tbe accredited to any one captain and is taught in many institutions and 101 courses around the world. Always, my favorite reason to reference such things is that it gives a polished presentation to a real world,tried and true, results-driven tool.

It is called … S.M.A.R.T Goals (brilliant)

Specific. Setting a goal that is too broad (i.e. sell a lot of widgets) allows for too many unknowns. At what pointhave you sold ‘a lot’? What number constitutes ‘not enough’? Identifying a specific marker allows you torealistically gauge when you’re close to reaching your goal. This can applies to product development,marketing, and online presence.

Measurable. Be sure that your goal is something that can actually be measured. Quantify it. When are you going topass out the bonus checks? It will be difficult to set a specific goal if it is not measurable. Measurability aswell as specificity help you to identify progress and recognize milestones.

Attainable. Do not set yourself up for failure by setting a goal that is not attainable. Bringing in $1,000,000,000in revenue for the quarter is an exciting prospect but it may not be something that is realistic for yourcompany at this stage. By setting goals that you are unlikely to achieve, you set yourself (and youremployees) up for disappointment, ultimately destroying morale.

Relevant. Goal setting becomes an important part of business planning when the goals are relevant to theoverarching mission or vision of the company. Make sure that your goals align with the company’spolicies, overall direction and ability at your stage in the voyage.

Time bound. When you choose not to set time bound goals, action steps toward the achievement of goals do not rankhigh on the list of priorities. Setting a time frame for achieving your goals helps you to stay on track forrealizing your goals.

As you are taking the helm, reorganizing, or holding steady, setting S.M.A.R.T. goals and navigationpoints will help you evaluate and reach your desired destination.

Wishing you fair winds and calm seas!

Brooke & Megan are entrepreneurs who are passionate about the sales process, customer experiences and growth. They founded BreakOut Sales, a company that specializes in building dynamic sales teams for new technologies and bringing European products/services to the US market.

Written by Michelle · Filed Under Startup & Grow 

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As your business grows and you experience more success it becomes increasingly important to pay attention to your 5 Types of Energy to maintain the growth and also to enjoy the journey. Your energy is Read more

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Written by mary · Filed Under Life Balance 

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Rules rule, you know… what are your rules for success? Michelle McCullough guest blogger/mom entrepreneur of Doodads Promotional Products shares hers: Read more

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