“Goal setting is fundamental to good performance,” says master certified coach Madeleine Homan Blanchard. “Yet, most people gloss over it because they think they are good at it.”
Nothing could be further from the truth. The reality is that most people go into each new year with only a general sense of what they want to accomplish—but no specific goals, targets, or plans.
“Not setting goals is like trying to drive somewhere you’ve never been without entering an address into your GPS. Without a clear destination, you might wander aimlessly or get lost. This happens in organizations all the time—leaders assume their team members know what’s expected of them, but they often don’t. Clear goals are essential for focus and prioritization. As I often say, ‘you need to put a pin on the map’ before starting your journey.
“It might seem obvious, but it really is the difference between getting in your car to reach a specific location and getting in your car to simply go for a drive. There’s nothing wrong with going for a drive, but that’s something to do on your own time, for pleasure.”
Goals Align Individual and Organizational Objectives
For Homan Blanchard, alignment starts with clarity and communication.
“It’s the leader’s job to illustrate the through line—connect an individual’s tasks to the bigger picture.
“I’ve seen many leaders fall into the trap of saying ‘I’ll know it when I see it,’ which is incredibly disempowering. At our company, we call this the ‘rock game.’
“The rock game goes like this: You ask me to bring you a rock. I go outside, look around, and find a rock that seems nice enough. When you see the rock, you say, ‘That’s a nice rock, but I need something a little bigger.’ When I bring a slightly bigger rock, you say, ‘Okay, that size is close, but it needs to be more round.’ The next rock is round enough, but the wrong color. In the end, I bring you a ‘perfect’ rock, but I think ‘Wow, it would have been a lot easier if you had just told me you wanted a nice, black, round rock about five inches in diameter.’
“For employees to do a good job the first time, leaders need to be explicit about what success looks like.”
Goals Empower Employees
Not only do clear goals save time, they also improve empowerment and accountability, says Homan Blanchard.
“When employees understand what’s expected, they can take ownership of their responsibilities. Empowerment comes from discipline, not ambiguity. Managers and direct reports sitting down and taking the time to set realistic, achievable goals together—and then discussing the support needed to achieve those goals—is the key.
“Clear goals help employees manage expectations when they have their marching orders and are plugging away, and a new goal comes out of left field. At that point, they can pull up their list of goals and ask where on the list of priorities the new goal needs to be.
“Often, a high-performing employee is told ‘You’re amazing—you can do it all,’ which might be true to a point—until the load becomes too big and leads to overwhelm.
“If everything is a priority, then nothing is a priority. Clear goals help with prioritization.”
Goals Establish a Basis for Feedback and Accountability
Clear goals also provide a foundation for feedback and accountability, says Homan Blanchard.
“Feedback is essential. Unfortunately, many managers avoid giving feedback—they fear damaging relationships or they simply don’t know how.
“As a coach, I am often asked to help with improving the performance of someone in the organization. Before I take on an assignment, I always ask, ‘Has someone given this person the feedback they need? Do they know their performance is not meeting expectations?’ The answer is usually no. Clear expectations haven’t been set and feedback hasn’t happened.
“Coaching can’t substitute for a manager’s responsibility to provide clear goals and actionable feedback. People only change when the cost of staying the same outweighs the effort required to change. Setting clear goals begins that process.”
Goals Build Confidence and Motivation
In the Blanchard SLII® model, commitment refers to a person's level of motivation and confidence in relation to a specific task or goal. It is one of the two core components (the other is competence) used to diagnose a team member's development level.
“Confidence levels are influenced by past experiences,” says Homan Blanchard. “When we set a goal, make progress, and see improvement, it triggers a dopamine release. This keeps us motivated and focused, reinforcing the behavior and encouraging further effort.
“Confidence comes from small wins such as setting a goal and achieving it or learning a new skill and getting steadily better at it. It’s like a ladder: every time we try something and succeed, or make a mistake and correct it, we build confidence. Confidence allows us to continue to try, make new mistakes, learn, and move on—which, in turn, builds competence.”
The Discipline of Goal Setting
As people look to the year ahead, Homan Blanchard offers some encouragement and practical advice.
“Even when we know the steps for setting goals, we often underestimate how hard it is.
“Our brains are notoriously bad at visualizing the future—it’s cognitively demanding. Goal setting requires 100% use of the prefrontal cortex, so it should be done when our brains are at their freshest.
“Also, because we have set and achieved goals in the past, we think it should get easier every time, but it really doesn’t. Lots of practice does help, but the fact is that goals require time, energy, and calories—both mental and physical. Visualizing the future in specific terms is tough, but it’s non-negotiable. Here’s a tip: you’ll know your goal is clear enough if you can finish this sentence: ‘I will know I’ve achieved this when …’
“Setting goals is tedious work, but it’s the cornerstone of success.
“Be sure to write down your goals and review them daily. Put them where you can see them: make them your screen saver, or go old school, print them out, put them above your desk—and don’t cover them with anything.
“Ensure that your people write their goals down, too, and use them as the basis for each one-on-one meeting. We think we won’t forget our goals, but we probably will. We may also forget to modify them as things change or new information comes in. We get distracted, we get overwhelmed—life happens.
“Once the work is done, though, it’s time to activate motivation centers in the brain. Celebrate successes, even small ones. Celebration isn’t just about fun; it reinforces motivation and builds confidence. Too often, we finish a goal and move on without acknowledgment.
“Finally, keep goals simple and clear. People fail to achieve their goals for two main reasons: they set too many goals or they don’t get proper support for the goals they have set. Focus on fewer, more impactful goals. And remember to celebrate! Achievement without acknowledgment creates feelings of relief, not joy. Goals should inspire and empower, not overwhelm.”
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Would you like to learn more about improving goal alignment and feedback in your organization? Join us for a free webinar!
Breaking the Goal-Setting Barrier: Strategies for Clarity, Alignment, and Growth
Tuesday, January 28, 2025
7:00 a.m. Pacific Time
Join Madeleine Homan Blanchard, master certified coach and leadership expert, for an insightful webinar on the transformative power of clear goals in driving individual and organizational success. Drawing from her extensive experience and research, Madeleine will provide practical strategies to help leaders set, clarify, and achieve goals that inspire performance, build confidence, and foster alignment.
In this engaging session, Madeleine will address three critical challenges every leader faces:
· Breaking Through the Goal-Setting Illusion – Why most leaders overestimate their goal-setting effectiveness and how to adopt a disciplined, neuroscience-based approach for setting goals that truly work.
· The Alignment Imperative – How to connect individual efforts to organizational objectives through clear, actionable expectations and open communication.
· Feedback That Fuels Growth – The art of giving feedback that supports goal achievement, fosters accountability, and inspires positive behavioral change.
Don’t miss this opportunity to identify actionable insights and tools to create a culture of clarity, empowerment, and sustainable success in your organization.
About the Author
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