[Updated: Jan 10, 2018]
And 5 questions to ask yourself as we begin the New Year…
By LAY HSUAN, LIM
We talk a lot about setting personal and career goals at the beginning of the year as this exercise helps us to have a clear picture on what, when, why and how we want to accomplish things for the year.
One of the commonly used guide for setting goals is the SMART tool, which many of us understand as specific, measurable, attainable, realistic and time-bound.
Related post: Starting them SMART: Setting Goals The Proper Way
No doubt, these elements are important in ensuring our success, and involve much of our strategic thinking capacity.
Don’t ignore the ‘heart matters’ in your SMART goals.
What about the “heart matter” that is involved in these objectives? Let us explore a different kind of SMART.
S – Sincerity
Sincere or authentic people consistently uphold what is true and just. They are genuine in their words and deeds, often showing real care for people around them.
They are often learners to new ideas and life lessons, and are highly appreciative of feedback from others.
Question:
Is your goal exclusively about building your own “throne”, or are you building a “castle” together with your team?
M – Mindfulness
Mindfulness is the practice of cultivating a purposeful and focused awareness on the present moment.
In today’s hectic living, we are constantly multitasking. Our mind is always distracted, making us absent mentally even though our body is present.
This might interest you: Leaders, Are You Over-loading Your People?
Start by making the conscious decision to listen attentively to the people you interact. Also, don’t make judgments too quickly.
Question:
While setting your eyes on the finishing line, what are some of the things you can do to be more mindful of yourself, and others around you?
A – Accountability
This is viewed as being answerable to somebody (including yourself!) for something we have committed to do.
Leaderonomics faculty partner Joseph Tan mentioned that there is no use getting people in your organisation engaged if they are not accountable for their actions.
Without accountability, a great plan remains a far-fetched dream as nobody owns it to see it through.
Question:
What are the channels of communications you’re using (and how frequent) when presenting your “account” to your accountability partner(s)?
See also: Why Accountability Matters At Work And At Play
R – Relationships
Family, friends and co-workers have played their part in walking alongside you through words of encouragement, guidance and coaching.
In short, where we are today is mostly dependent on the quality relationships we have in our lifetime.
Question:
With regard to your goals, are your relationships based on a “touch-and-go” basis or are you building a long-term relationship with your team members and customers?
Check out Leaderonomics’ video on Relationships:
T – Teamwork
We can facilitate greater teamwork when a relationship is built on trust and accountability.
When people are rooted on common values, it is easier to communicate expectations across the organisation.
We may have our personal goals, but collectively with one heart and mind, we can achieve more.
Question:
What are some of the things you can do together to cultivate team spirit?
Check out this podcast post too: Raise Your Game: Building Accountability In Teamwork
In conclusion
We become lifeless when the heart stops beating. What is your heart telling you today while you set your personal, professional and organisational goals? Go on and incorporate the heart in your SMART goals and keep them alive and well.
To prepare your business to take on the year together with your team, you can engage with Leaderonomics and let us take your team on an exciting journey of self-discovery through a selection of immersive simulations where you’ll need to overcome hurdles of trust, communication and conflict which reflect common real-life working situations. Write to us at info@leaderonomics.com to find out more. To send us your feedback regarding content, email us at editor@leaderonomics.com.
Lay Hsuan was part of the content curation team for Leaderonomics.com, playing the role of a content gatekeeper as well as ensuring the integrity of stories that came in. She was an occasional writer for the team and was previously the caretaker for Leaderonomics social media channels. She is still happiest when you leave comments on the website, or subscribe to Leader’s Digest, or share Leaderonomics content on social media.
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