Strategic Success: Writing Your Goals

It may seem like an inconsequential piece of the puzzle, but choosing the right language for your goals is an incredibly important part of the strategic planning process. It might sound dramatic, but if you fly through this step without careful consideration, you might actually struggle to achieve your goals.

Why? Because ambiguity in goals leads to misaligned actions. The key here is understanding and communication. The leadership team is coming up with these goals, but the actual execution of them is likely done by those not at the leadership table. The language chosen needs to be so clear that someone can understand the intention without having any further context. For example:

“Refine ProgramX to enhance employee productivity.”

VS.

“Reinvent ProgramX to enhance employee productivity.”

Two words that sound similar but mean vastly different things. If you instruct your team to “refine” a program, you’ll receive a better version of what already exists. However, if you ask your team to reinvent the program, you’re likely to get a new, innovative solution. Being precise with your goal wording can be the difference between mediocrity and bold new success.

To set a strong, soundproof goal, you’ll also need to include a concrete measure. How will you know if you succeeded? 

“Reinvent ProgramX to enhance employee productivity by Dec. 12, 2024.”

Now there is no question about what’s being asked for! If the project is completed by the stated deadline, you know you were successful. An alternative measure could be:

“Refine ProgramX to enhance employee productivity by 10% within a year of launch.”

Clarity is a main theme throughout the entire strategic planning process, and it’s no exception here. We also understand that not everyone is an English major, prepared to debate synonyms. Don’t let this process derail you! Spend 20 minutes writing out a few versions of your goals. Pull up a thesaurus and compare how it sounds using a different verb here, or noun there. Once your time is up select the versions that communicate your goals most effectively.

But don’t worry, you don’t have to do it alone! In the video below, Ryan will walk you through the intricacies of writing your goals in more detail. We also created the Strategic Planning Ad-Lib Goal template to help you draft a quick statement for your goals. It will help you capture the key elements so that everyone can understand the intent of the goal and what to expect. Download the template below!