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by Nikki MacCallum
With a new year typically comes new beginnings. Revenue numbers and metrics reset to zero and you’re often asked to reflect upon the previous year. What went well? What could’ve gone better? Where were you the most successful? Shortly thereafter, focus shifts to the upcoming year. What will you do differently? How will you out-perform the prior year? What are your goals?
Goals hold you to milestones that help keep your progress on track. Goals are significant because they create targets to hit that will advance your career. And, it’s important to remember that career advancement can come in many different forms. It can mean a pay raise, a lateral move to an arena you’re more passionate about, or greater responsibility, just to name a few. Regardless, at the end of the day success is ultimately an accumulation of achieved goals.
Goal setting can be tricky, primarily because it’s sometimes hard to determine how far to reach. The higher you aim, the greater the risk of not meeting your goals. At the same time, with a lower bar, comes a higher probability of not making strides forward. Below are five tips for setting effective goals.
For those of us who have multiple goals and are forced to prioritize, there is a rubric I’ve found to be tremendously helpful, which I call the three-tiered pyramid approach. The top tier consists of one goal that must be met no matter what. If that top goal is the only thing you accomplish that is a win. The middle tier consists of two goals, which are both secondary. If you achieve them that’s great, if not, you’ve still won by achieving the top. The bottom tier has three goals and falls into the “nice to have” category. They’re important enough that you list them, but aren’t a top priority.
Making your goals specific and measurable, only having a few of them, prioritizing effectively, creating action items and mini metrics that support your goals, looking at your goals every day, and holding yourself accountable are all key ingredients to successful goal setting. Play the long game and advance your career!
Nikki MacCallum brings over thirteen years of experience in the executive search space with a focus on litigation technology and eDiscovery. She’s spoken on panels and at conferences nation-wide (ABC News, Women in eDiscovery, LegalTech, CALSM, ARIAS) and was recently the key note speaker for a global Career Panel Workshop at American Express. Nikki is also a resident speaker at New York City’s Coalition for the Homeless where she privately mentors underprivileged women looking to re-enter the workforce.
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