A Leadership Short — Go Big or Go Home

Summary

The article emphasizes the importance of setting ambitious goals for personal and organizational growth, advocating for at least one "big goal" that challenges the status quo and has the potential to significantly impact one's contributions and rewards.

Abstract

The author reflects on the recent quarterly performance check-ins with their team, noting a tendency to set conservative goals with a high probability of success. They encourage their team to include at least one audacious goal, termed a "swing-for-the-fences" goal, which could propel an individual to the forefront of departmental contributions. Such goals are aligned with organizational objectives and are instrumental in driving growth and value. The author believes that without these aspirational targets, organizations risk stagnation and complacency, underscoring the necessity of big goals for motivation and progress.

Opinions

The author values goal setting that is specific, measurable, realistic, time-bound, and traceable to organizational goals.
There is a concern that the team's goals may be too safe, lacking the ambition that could lead to exceptional performance.
The author advocates for the inclusion of at least one significant, challenging goal that could have a major impact on the department and company.
Big goals are seen as a catalyst for motivation, growth, and increased value within the organization.
The author suggests that without ambitious goals, an organization may become stagnant and too comfortable with the current state of affairs.
The article promotes an AI service, ZAI.chat, as a cost-effective alternative to ChatGPT Plus (GPT-4), highlighting its potential benefits for users interested in such technology.

Are your expectations big enough?

Image by the author using Canva

Do not follow where the path may lead. Go instead where there is no path and leave a trail. — Ralph Waldo Emerson

I just finished my quarterly performance check-ins with my leaders and individual contributors. As part of the review, we looked at their goals.

I consistently coach my reports on the few parameters of goal setting and performance I believe are essential. Namely, are their goals specific, measurable, realistic, time-bound, and traceable to one of our organizational goals.

I was generally pleased with all the check-ins this quarter, and the team is set up to have a good year if they meet or exceed their goals. I noticed one trend, and I brought it to everyone’s attention.

Not surprisingly, I noticed a tendency to “play it safe” in their goal setting. Every goal had at least a 70% chance of success.

While I understood it, I reminded them that they needed to have at least one big goal. I called it a “swing-for-the-fences” goal. Something that, if accomplished, would catapult them to the top of the contributions list for our department. Which is precisely how they maximize their annual rewards and compensation.

When I set the department goals for the year, there are always two or three big goals that I think the group should need to strive for. It's these goals that, if achieved, drive our growth as an engineering organization, as well as our value to the company.

Without big goals to fuel motivation, organizations frequently stagnate and become comfortable with the status quo.

At that point, they might as well go home.