Picking your head up out of the day-to-day as a leader is crucial for driving your organization or team ahead. Setting a goal that is feasible, quantifiable, and has a direct influence on your organization, on the other hand, might be frightening.
Increasing revenue by XX%, increasing customer satisfaction/retention, or raising brand recognition all seem good for business, but laying out the steps to get there may be daunting. So, where do you begin?
According to recent research, writing down your objectives might increase your chances of fulfilling them by 42%. The Rule of Three takes this basic principle and simplifies it even more (in multiples of three). The concept is straightforward: it is difficult for the brain to recall more than three bits of information at once. This method has made goal setting much more realistic and feasible for me.
STOP: Take 2 minutes to jot out a business or personal objective, and we'll break it down using The Rule of Three together.
Determine a Goal...then Dig Deep
Identifying what's essential to you and your company is a good place to start, and it's best accomplished via a mix of personal introspection and team polling. We can break down your large-picture objectives, such as ensuring business survival or increasing corporate reputation, into smaller, more achievable, and quantifiable goals by asking a series of questions.
Let's start with a high-level aim.
GOAL: By 2023, I want to have increased client loyalty.
We may now begin to move backward by asking a few questions.
What exactly does success look like?
This may manifest as higher loyalty program signups, consumer recommendations, and overall revenue growth.
What do you wish to accomplish?
Let's go precise now that we've established what success looks like. Sign-ups for loyalty programs increased by XX%, customer referrals increased by XX%, and social media engagement increased by XX%.
We have a goal and a measure (or metrics). Set a date so we can go backward and cut this objective down into manageable steps. It's critical to get professional feedback on your timeline to ensure that you're providing your team with adequate time to succeed. For example, if you want to increase client loyalty, I'd call out to both your sales and marketing departments to level-set.
Break it down using 'The Rule of Three'.
Let's break out your 12-month aim of improving client loyalty in 2023. Now, make a list of three activities you can do each month to help you reach your yearly goal. To get there, I'll need to complete three mini-goals every week, and these mini-goals may be as simple as allowing access to the internal team to monitor engagement data. Consider the following example.
Project duration: 12 months (about 48 weeks)
Monthly objectives: 3 (total of 36)
Mini-goals every week: 3 (total of 144)
Example
Increase client loyalty as an annual aim.
(3) January goals: -Plan quarterly ad campaigns for customer loyalty program -Audit current social media outlets for brand consistency -Set up monitoring and reporting system
Goals for the first week of January:
-Request an ad campaign schedule from the marketing team. -Assign a social media audit. -Share platform access with the team for metrics monitoring.
Goals for the second week of January:
-Review social media audit and establish next steps for content editing -Develop quarterly ad campaigns that incorporate extra statistic monitoring
-Send team deadlines for monthly metrics reporting.
Don't Get Into the Weeds
Instead of being overwhelmed by the number of objectives, let it inspire you by imagining how many chances you have to work toward your goal.
Spend some time at the end of each month moving about your next objectives and milestones, but don't allow goal planning to become a job in and of itself, voiding any production. Instead, cultivate a mentality that asks, "What are the next three things I need to do?" while approaching undertakings. Soon, these weekly objectives will become monthly goals, which will lead to the final aim. Use a separate, dedicated planner or calendar for objectives and milestones if you're having trouble compartmentalizing and planning.
It's finally time to get sh*t done.
Most individuals, even company owners, do not establish objectives. So, use this moment to differentiate yourself from the competition by defining goals. Keep your big picture aim in mind and use it to refocus yourself whenever you start to stray. Remember that major accomplishments are made up of a series of tiny acts, and by being deliberate about those actions and your time, you'll be more effective in accomplishing your objectives and propelling your company ahead for years to come.
