Set Your Goals!

October is the month the U.S. Marine Corps sponsors its annual marathon. The 26.2-mile course weaves its way around our Nation’s Capital and ends at the Iwo Jima Memorial outside Arlington National Cemetery. I ran this marathon years ago while attending the Marine Corps Command and Staff College. My running buddy, Doug, was a Marine Shinnok pilot, and our classmates dared us to run and finish.
We were several months from the marathon date, and the first thing we did was set up a plan with the goal to finish together in under 4 hours. We established subordinate goals such as completing at least one 18-mile run, two 15-mile runs and running on an average of at least 25 miles per week, with at least one run being 10 miles. We committed to running at better than an 8-minute-mile-pace and held each other accountable throughout the training regimen. It paid off; we kept an 8-minute-mile-pace and celebrated our 26.2-mile completion at the Iwo Jima Memorial.
Business owners, CEOs, non-profit leaders, and organizational leaders should set goals as part of their annual planning process. Goals represent where the organization and its members are heading and what they need to achieve to get there. A champion for each goal inspires and focuses their team’s effort and holds them accountable to attain the milestones necessary for completion. And if your fiscal year is the calendar year, then this is the time to meet with your leadership team and create your 2023 goals and incorporate them into your annual plan.
Goal setting is a discipline, and there is a formula that, when mastered, ensures you maximize results. Each goal should be SMART: specific, measurable, attainable, results-oriented, and time-framed. A specific goal stands on its own. It doesn’t need an explanation. A measurable goal is one that, without a doubt, you either achieve or don’t. There’s no in-between. To be attainable, you must have the emotional, physical capacity, and resources, or soon to have, on hand to achieve the goal. Results-oriented means the goal is purposeful, deliberate, and expected to deliver the desired outcome. Finally, time-framed means a known start and finish is associated with achieving the goal.
Running a business is like a marathon, requiring the discipline of goal setting. Goal setting is a leadership and best business practice. Assigning champions to inspire the team to achieve the goals is what gets you results. My SMART goal was to run the annual Marine Corps Marathon on the date scheduled for that year and to finish with my running buddy in under 4 hours. What are your SMART goals for 2023? Who are your goal champions, and what resources will you invest in getting the results you desire to make 2023 a banner business year?
COL Paul A. Raggio (Ret) is a fractional CEO who develops C-Suite executives, business owners, and employees on leadership, management principles, and best business practices. His email address is praggio64@gmail.com, and his phone number is (252) 571-7368.