Setting Goals at Work: 10 Tips for Success

Setting goals at work is just another way for you to achieve personal growth and happiness. You’ll have an opportunity to prove things to yourself as well as make a good impression with the management. Continue reading for some tips on different goals you can strive towards.

Setting goals and sticking with them is the key to achieving success. Whether these goals are for your personal growth and development, for your career or your business, these tips can help you in any aspect of your life.

If you can see it, you can achieve it. Here are some tips on setting goals at work that will stick and make you a success.

1. When Setting Goals at Work Focus on What You Can Control First

Goals can sometimes feel daunting or unattainable because they’re out of our control. Like getting that dream job, winning the lottery or finding Mr. or Mrs. Right. So instead of getting overwhelmed by the big picture, focus on what you can control first, and have a plan for the rest.

For example, if you were a supervisor for an accounting department in a hospital and your goal was to shorten the month-end close timeline by 2 business days. Your success with this goal will rely on the skills and collaboration of your accounting department, which you can control, and the ability of other departments to deliver date on time, which is out of your control.

To make this goal more attainable, have a plan to coordinate the month-end close with other departments, remind them of the deadline and keep the communication lines open, but also have a backup plan if what you can’t control (the other departments) fails to deliver.

2. Clarify Your Team’s Structure

You need to understand the functions and relationships of your team to set tangible workplace goals. Once you have this mapping right, you can identify what you can do to help everything run more smoothly.

3. Talk To Your Boss

At the end of the day, no matter what your job is, your job is really about rounding out the team and making life easier for your teammates. That’s why you were hired, there was a problem that only you and your skillset could solve.

Talk to your boss or manager about what you can do to make their job easier so they ultimately look good.

What can you do to make their job easier and make them look good? Having a frank conversation like this about how you can support your boss, will help you figure out and define your workplace goals.

Also, it’s always better for you to initiate this conversation than have it the other way where your boss brings you into their office to call out what you’re doing wrong.

4. Think About the Long Run

What’s next for you? What is your dream next professional role? What qualifications and skills do you need to qualify for this ideal position?

Find ways to get those experiences to make your qualified for your next dream professional role.

5. Go Above and Beyond Your Immediate Tasks

Instead of just stressing out about your everyday tasks, also consider the big picture. Career progression can need a big scope of skills and experiences. Look into relevant professional seminars and educational opportunities and add that to your goal list.

Continued learning is crucial to expand your responsibilities and get that promotion.

6. Picture What Achieving Your Goals Looks Like

Now that you have a specific, attainable work goal, go beyond those basics and visualize what achieving your goal looks like.

Does reaching your goal l mean that a project might flow easier or that your team will work more efficiently? Once you have a clear vision of what your achieved goal looks like, the easier it is not only to stay motivated but to also actually achieve it.

7. Periodically Check In

Check in with yourself and your boss to see how you’re doing with your goals. Sit down with your manager and talk about the status of your goals and learn what you can still work on. You can make these conversations formal and regular or more casual.

Whatever you choose, make sure you keep the communication open so your goal plan can adapt to reflect today’s reality and priorities.

8. Get Support If You Need It

It might take a village to achieve your goals, and that’s okay! There’s a reason there’s always so many people to thank in acceptance speeches!

Sometimes what’s standing between you and your goals is yourself, which is why often goals can feel more attainable with the help of a mentor, coach or even a therapist. You also can have your friends and co-workers hold you accountable for your goals.

Find allies in and outside of your company and build a network of people who care about your success. Talk to these people, check in with them, ask for advice and listen carefully.

9. Compare Your Annual Goals With Your To-Do List

Periodically check in with how well your daily to-do list matches up with your big picture workplace goals. If the two have nothing to do with each other or it feels like they’re on entirely different pages, find a way to make it work.

10. Keep Track of Your Accomplishments

Maybe some time has passed, and you still haven’t achieved your big goal. It’s okay. Rome wasn’t built in a day, and the same is true for your goal.

Take some time to reflect on the positive changes you’ve made since you set your goal. What have you accomplished? What changes have you seen?

Then you can focus on what you still need to do. You’ll likely feel less overwhelmed when you realized the progress you’ve made. There’s nothing wrong with celebrating the small victories now and then.

Achieve It!

Now that you have a clear vision of your goal and what you need to do to make it happen — go for it!

Setting goals at work can feel scary at first, but once you break everything down, you might realize your dreams are a little closer than you thought.

Stay focused, be realistic and check in with yourself and soon your goals will become a reality. Anything is possible if you stay focused! If your career goals include finally launching your start-up or connecting with like-minded entrepreneurs, contact us today!