Goals – Questions That Will Help You Focus

Goals are easy to talk about but often difficult for people to create. So, I hope the following helps you get more done. Below is a process for individuals, and you can easily adapt it for organizations. Or, if you want to save time, download this form for organizations.

If you need a complete planning system for organizations, we have just the thing - the GR8 Results System. It provides you with a clear blueprint to follow to start with the critical items of Purpose and Values, then moves into Strategy, Goals, and Execution. You also get a clear schedule for the meetings you need to have.

It has the information you need to help each individual develop the three key actions needed each day, week, or month.

1. Strengths – What can I build on?

  • What am I most proud of as an individual?
  • How does that reflect my strengths?
  • What makes me unique?
  • What do I want to become best at?
  • How do I use my strengths to get results?
  • What are 1-3 accomplishments I am proud of in the last couple of years?
  • What would I classify as my top 3 strengths?
  • How do my strengths fit with the realities of my job, career, and life?
  • What do I currently do or provide that my “customers” (people that receive your work or created products) consider as high quality, excellent, or possibly world-class?

2. Opportunities – What are my customers asking for?

  • Who is my primary customer (people that receive your work or created products?)
  • What do my customers really want?
  • How much of what they really want am I providing them?
  • What am I providing them that they do NOT want?
  • Who are possible new customers I could serve?
  • How can I distinctively differentiate myself from existing or potential competitors?
  • What are possible new products, services, or processes I could provide?
  • How do I make sense of opportunities created by external forces and trends?
  • Of the opportunities I have, what are the top three to focus my efforts?
  • How can I best meet the needs of my boss, team, and organization?
  • What new skills do I need to take advantage of the opportunities?
  • How can I re-frame challenges to become exciting opportunities?

3. Aspirations – What do I care deeply about?

  • When I explore my values and aspirations, “what am I deeply passionate about?”
  • Reflecting on Strengths and Opportunities documented above, who am I, who do I want to become, and where do I want to go in the future?
  • What is my most compelling aspiration?
  • How much will my personal purpose change if I adopt the compelling aspiration?
  • What evidence is available to show how much I really have that aspiration?
  • What projects, programs, and processes are needed support my values and aspirations?

4. Results – How do I know I am succeeding?

  • Considering my Strengths, Opportunities and Aspirations, what meaningful measures would indicate that I am on track to fulfilling my aspirations and personal purpose?
  • What the 3 to 5 key measures or indicators that would create a "dashboard" to track progress?
  • Using the measures identified, what goals do I need to create?
  • How do I make sure my goals are contributing to my team and organization?
  • What resources are needed to implement my most vital goals and projects?
  • What are the best ways I can support achievement of my goals?

Adapted from The Thin Book of SOAR, Jacqueline Stavros and Gina Hinrichs

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