“M” is for Measurable AND Meaningful to You
We’ve been working on the SMART goal process for the past month. Today we will be ending the series with “M”. “M” stands for measurable AND meaningful to you. Now, when I first learned about the second “M”, i.e. meaningful, I had one of those ‘ah ha’ moments. Prior, I thought we’ll I’m setting a goal therefore by definition it is meaningful to me, right? Um, not quite. Let’s drop into “M”. (Yes, I just watched the Olympic half-pipe competition, and I’m a fan of ‘dropping’ in)
As a reminder, setting SMART goals and enlisting the help of a trusted advisor, mentor, coach can be instrumental in working through the things that may be holding you back. Check out more about the four requisites for change here: Four Requisites for Change
SMART goals came from research that began in the 60s with Dr. Edwin Locke and Dr. Gary Lantham. Others have added the importance of the mindest, both conscious and unconscious, in goal work, like Richard Bandler and John Grinder founders of Neurolingusitic Programming (NLP).
The SMART goal setting process is powerful, especially applied to your career or life. In earlier blog posts I talked at AIM and SMART end goals. As a reminder, SMART stands for:
S = Simple and Specific
M = Measurable and Meaningful to me
A = Achievable, As if Now, All Areas of my life
R = Responsible / Ecological, Realistic
T = Timed and Toward what I want
Today is brought to you by the letter “M”
M is for Measurable
Business people, scientists, researchers, political pollsters, teenagers on social media, personal trainers and bakers; well heck, most people understand measuring. The old adage ‘you get what you measure’ holds true. Our friend Webster defines ‘measure’: to ascertain the size, amount, or degree of (something) by using an instrument or device marked in standard units or by comparing it with an object of known size. Or, a plan or course of action taken to achieve a particular purpose. Simply put, when a goal is measurable you know how close or far you are from achieving it.
There is a significant amount of research done on the effects of measuring. One study reviewed by Dr. Edwin Locke, was on safety compliance with a known manufacturer. As all good studies, there was a baseline assessment, which showed 55% compliance. The business implemented training on safety and saw compliance increase to 65%. Next, the business articulated the goal of 90% and over a quarter, saw compliance improve another 10% points. Lastly, the company posted (and updated daily) the results in the company lunch room (highly visible) and saw results exceed 90% almost immediately. The conclusion was improvement in the goal was attributed to employees being able to measure exactly how they were doing against the target.
For example, losing weight is not measurable, but a size 10 is. Having a ‘bigger’ job is not measurable, but SVP of Sales and Marketing is. Measurement is especially relevant in achieving your goals.
M is for Meaningful to You
First of all, it is a common occurrence to set a goal around a ‘should’. I should lose weight, I should climb the company ladder ( or master the corporate jungle gym), I should be in a relationship, I should take a vacation. Please, for the love of Pete, stop ‘should-ing’ on yourself. And, your goal isn’t about what other people want for you or what other people want because the motivation is someone else’s, not yours. Case in point, my Grandmother Erma, would always say to me while I was in college “When are you going to meet a nice, Italian, Catholic, boy?” (her criteria). Specifically, you need to find what motivates you! What is important about the goal to you? See it, feel it, hear it. Don’t get me wrong, I truly appreciate nice men, but at the time, a relationship wasn’t motivating to me. Graduation was my primary focus. In the corporate setting, when employees can see line of sight between what they are doing and the company goals, motivation is maintained. When employees work with their manager and team to set their goals and align it with the corporate goal(s) that is equally and sometimes more powerful and effective. You’d be surprised how often that step is either omitted or treated as a ‘check the box’ exercise. Consequently, employees are not as engaged and results could be impacted.
Question: Take an inventory of your goals. How many are truly meaningful to you?
In summary, I hope you found my insights on the M in SMART goals helpful. This ends our series on SMART goals! As adults we spend the bulk of our waking hours ‘at work’. We only have a finite amount of time on this planet, and you can choose how to spend that time. I wish you much success on your career quest. Yours in balance, learning, growth and harmony. – Melissa DeLuca, CEO
