Perhaps you’ve seen the reports that claim today’s students are preparing for jobs not even in existence yet. For an astonishing number of fields, this seems to be true. Who could have foreseen the development of jobs that deal with
chatbots or virtual assistants who live halfway around the world?
How can you prepare for a career in a field you aren’t even aware of? What changes will happen in your industry you can’t imagine today? In that regard, how can you prepare for a future that seems to change by the moment?
Individuals who wish to further their career, who are looking to become a better professional, have been told that the road to advancement is marked with career goals. In today’s professional world, however, how can you plan for a career in a world that is constantly changing? Surprisingly, the answer is the same. Set career goals.
Despite the constant changes, setting career goals is still an important facet in furthering your career. Instead of thinking in terms of a specific job, however, it is important to frame your thinking in terms of a career. How does one do this?
PLAN FOR TODAY
Your job is likely changing now. The rapid pace of technological change has made the workplace vastly different than it was even ten years ago. Often times, we are resistant to change and grudgingly accept only the new methods that are absolutely necessary. Instead, adopt the new technology and methods with an open mind, and look for ways to expand your abilities. I’m sure you once rolled your eyes at cell phones and wondered if the internet was worth the hassle.
CAREER GOALS NEED TECHNOLOGY
Embrace the new technology that is currently being used in your industry. Take a class, brush up on your skills and know that many times a 30-min lunchtime webinar can give you one new tip that can make the rest of your afternoon much easier.
EMBRACE COLLABORATION
The convergence of technology in the workplace has created a world where
collaboration is a necessity. Look for ways to work with people in other departments and fields. Studies show that individuals who have mastered the art of cross-collaboration are the most successful in the long run. Hone your collaboration skills by seeking opportunities to work with others.
PLAN FOR TOMORROW
Writing career goals down on paper is still vitally important to your professional development. Using both short and long term goals to guide your career can be an effective means of marking your progress, and can help keep you motivated.
SHORT TERM CAREER GOALS
Rewrite your short term goals in terms of your skill set.
Old goal: Within five years, be the Managing Supervisor of the Production Department.
New goal: Within five years, be in a supervisory capacity in the production department, overseeing the technical development of video content.
Framing your short term goals as skills rather than a title will ensure that you are prepared for the future, and can easily adapt to the changing marketplace. Some would argue that the difference is simply semantics.
However, the thought process to achieve these goals is vastly different. If you are focused on attaining a title, you will work on what you currently know is required to achieve that position. If your focus is on skills, however, you will take advantage of learning a variety of skills that you can use regardless of the position you are in.
LONG TERM CAREER GOALS
Old goal: Within ten years, become a partner in my company
New goal: Within ten years, be in a position of ownership in my field
Again, your focus is now on the skill-set required to be in the position you see yourself in ten years. Instead of looking for a title, look for the skills that you need for that position. Do you want to be in management? Will your career simply be a tool that affords you to lead a life of travel?
Regardless of your career, you can plan for the future, and adjust your goals accordingly. Look for ways to position yourself so that you are prepared for whatever changes the future may bring to your career.
Changes in the workplace affect everyone. Instead of being caught off guard, set career goals that will change with the times, giving you both the freedom and the flexibility to be successful – no matter what the future holds.
"Team Building" has become part of corporate vernacular in recent years. Parodied in movies, mocked in skits, and often thought of as unavoidable, the use of team building activities seems to have been relegated to just another item on a human resource department checklist. Despite their less than ideal reputation, however, team building activities can be some of the most important events your corporation hosts.
WHY ARE TEAM BUILDING ACTIVITIES SO IMPORTANT?
Effectively done, team building can increase collaboration, build trust, reduce conflict, and encourage communication. For corporate teams that are looking for ways to maximize their talent, these activities can improve the bottom line, engage employees and foster a positive corporate culture.
Strong teams lead to a stronger company, which leads to enhanced customer care and higher profits. If you want to improve the culture of your company, want to maintain a positive culture, or simply want to improve your customer relations,
team building is one of the most successful methods you can use.
WHEN SHOULD TEAM BUILDING ACTIVITIES TAKE PLACE?
Depending on the size and makeup of your team, scheduling quarterly team building events may be sufficient to maintain a cohesive team. For other companies, monthly team building activities are necessary to maintain team harmony. Mind you, in sales driven companies, even the daily sales meeting could be considered a team building activity. Each company must determine their own team building needs.
Pivotal moments within the business may lend themselves to team building activities as well. Opportunities for team building can occur after corporate mergers that result in the addition of new team members, the hiring of new employees, the loss of key team members or after the company has experienced a setback.
Whenever the makeup of your corporate team has altered, a team building exercise can be appropriate. To be effective, however,
team building should happen regularly, through both formal and informal means.
WHAT KIND OF TEAM BUILDING ACTIVITIES ARE EFFECTIVE?
Formal activities include:
Professional Development. Schedule trainings, workshops, or other professional opportunities for your team to attend together. If possible, arrange for the workshop to take place outside of the work environment, allowing for team members to meet on neutral territory, away from the distractions of the office.Team Building Seminars. Organizations that offer team building activities and workshops can be beneficial when used appropriately. Contrived team building activities can backfire, however. (Remember ‘trust falls’?) Use common sense and take the personality of your team members into account while planning any targeted team building activities. A ropes course may sound like fun to you but be terrifying to other members of your team. Ensure that the activity will be beneficial to everyone who will participate.
Informal activities include:
Volunteering. Working together outside the workplace is both personally rewarding and is a great way to support a community effort. Select a cause that your entire team can rally around, and spend a day supporting their endeavors. It creates opportunities for team members to spend time together in a more relaxed environment and is something everyone can be proud to participate in.Field Trips. Spending time together outside of work is a great way to see team members in a new light. The trip can be work related – a tour of a major supplier’s facility, for example – or just for fun – taking in a local spring training game. Scheduling an event that gives people the chance to mingle with other team members is an easy, cost effective way of team building.Corporate Events. Hosting a corporate picnic or BBQ is another informal means of team building that can be fun and effective. Provide opportunities for physical activities (inter-department kickball, anyone?) that team members can participate in, as well.
TEAM BUILDING IN ACTION
Since business seems to take a lot of interest from the sports world regarding team building, winning and mental strength, this story may drive home the effectiveness of team building activities.
In the late 1970’s, American gymnastics teams were considered mediocre on the global stage. There had been modest gains in Olympic achievement; the Americans were beginning to win medals for individual events around the world.
As a team, however, they were no match for the stronger, better trained foreigners. That is, until 1982. That year,
the Karolyis opened a gym specifically geared toward gymnasts. Defectors from Romania, this couple had achieved notoriety with the stunning success of Nadia Comenichi and their subsequent defection to the United States. Their place in gymnastics history was secured, however, when they took a group of gymnasts and turned them into a powerhouse team.
Here is how they did it:
Tasked with coaching the American female gymnasts, they set about to perform what business analysts would recognize as team building activities.
To begin, they selected individuals who were at the top of their game, skill-wise. These were athletes who excelled in their individual events, now they simply needed to become a team. To accomplish this, the Karolyis brought the girls to their ranch in Texas, where they would spend several weeks, sequestered away from outside distractions.
During this time, they would work together, play together and test each other, forming bonds based on their appreciation of each other’s skills. They focused on one common goal: win the gold medal. Over the course of several years, they would continue to get together regularly in anticipation of the upcoming Olympic games.
The gymnasts, equipped with new uniforms, a new team unity and a new resolve, were ready. Their efforts paid off. In 1996, the United States brought home the gold medal in gymnastics, and a new era of Team USA gymnastics was born.
Without their purposeful, targeted activities designed to build a cohesive team, would the USA have won a gold medal? Perhaps. Their strategic efforts, however, revolutionized gymnastics in the US and transformed it into a team sport for the first time in the country’s history.
With nearly 50% of marriages ending in divorce, couples are constantly looking for the secret recipe to having a happy, successful partnership. Not surprisingly, there isn’t a secret formula that guarantees a lifetime of bliss, but lasting marriages seem to have several common characteristics. One of the best ways to build a healthy marriage? Set goals together.
Goal setting as an individual is easier. You develop your own list of accomplishments you want to attain, set benchmarks and then strategize a plan. Reaching your goals depends solely on your strengths, effort and abilities. Goal setting as a couple, however, requires a different approach.
COUPLE vs. INDIVIDUAL GOALS
To effectively use goal setting, couples must determine which goals are a priority for their relationship. As a couple is made up of two individuals, it is important to know that each individual needs to have their own goals clear before coming together to form goals as a couple.
Goals set as a couple can be achieved in individual ways. For example, as a couple, they may desire to get healthier. Separately, this could mean that one person needs to lose 15 pounds, while the other doesn’t need to lose weight, but needs to lower their stress level. Their common goal is to be healthier, but it will be met by working on their individual goals. The steps they take to achieve their goals may overlap, and will support each other’s goal, but ultimately the individual is responsible for keeping up their side of the goal.
UNITED GOALS
Another form of goal setting for couples is to create a set of unified goals that affect both individuals equally. A united goal may be lofty (i.e., saving enough to vacation for the entire summer in an exotic location) or simple (cooking dinner together once a week). Either way, achieving the goal is a victory for both individuals. Each participant may have different strategies for their contribution towards the goal, but the end result is a win for both people.
EFFECTIVE GOAL PLANNING
Ready to start setting goals as a couple? Here’s a quick-start guide.
Individually come up with a list of 3-6 items that you’d like to work towards. Share your list with your partner and narrow down the list until you have 1 or 2 goals in common to start with. Find ways to compromise. Do you both have “travel more” on your list, but don’t agree on the location? Look for a solution that you can both approve of, or take turns selecting the next vacation spot.Develop a plan. How will each of you work towards the goal? What steps will each of you take to help support the goal? Discuss this together. You may have an excellent brain storming partner brimming with ideas you haven’t thought of yourself.
Put your goals in writing. The goal, and the steps required, should be written down and posted in a prominent place. Not only will it keep the goal in the forefront of your mind, it will help build excitement as you see the progress you are making.
Meet regularly. Set aside time as a couple to touch base about your progress towards the goal. Are you on track? Do you need to adjust the timeline? A regular update will help motivate both individuals to keep pushing towards the goal and allow for changes as needed.Be flexible. Sometimes, it becomes clear that a goal is no longer realistic or that you achieve it faster than you thought possible. Don’t be afraid to adjust or revise the goal if needed.Celebrate your accomplishments. Each step towards your goal is a victory. Celebrate the milestones on your way to the goal, and then revel in the wonderful sense of accomplishment when you reach the target. Together!
GOAL PLANNING BENEFITS
Not only will planning goals as a couple help you to live your dreams, it will have
surprising relationship benefits. Couples that regularly discuss their goals and their progress towards achieving them, generally report that they are happier and more fulfilled in their partnership. In addition, they find that they are more energized and have a stronger bond as a result of sharing a common goal.
Couples that set goals for their health together are more likely to achieve their goals, according to one study. If you are trying to quit smoking, exercise more, eat healthier or make other positive lifestyle changes, ‘changing together’ is the most effective means of doing so. You will find greater, longer lasting success when you reinforce the new lifestyle choice by working towards the goal together.
Worried that one of you may be more goal-orientated than the other? That’s OK. Building a set of goals and developing a plan to reach them together can be an important tool in f
orging a better relationship. Even if one individual is less goal-driven, working together towards a common goal will bring a sense of unity and connectedness.
Want to accomplish more as a couple? Feel like your relationship could be better? Set aside some time to develop some goals for you and your partner. You’ll be surprised at the positive difference it can make.
My Big Idea™ welcomes couples to the
Personal Program where each of you will have the time and space to explore what goals are important to the relationship and to each individual. Ready to start your goal planning as a couple?
Contact us to learn more.
Imagine for a moment, that you are in Munich, Germany. Your plan is to travel to Venice, Italy by car. It is a trip you’ve never done before. You’ll attempt to make this journey without a phone, map or GPS. Your only hope of arriving in Italy is to ‘wing it’ and chance that your memory of grade 8 geography hasn’t faded.
As you get out of familiar territory, earnestly searching the road signs is little assistance and you don’t speak the local language. Your chance of success? Minimo! (Italian for minimal).
Write your goals down
When you set goals, but fail to write them down, it is much like having a general idea of where you’re going without a clear set of directions.
According to a study done by Dominican University professor, Dr. Gail Matthews, you are over 40% more likely to reach your goals if you write them down. Put succinctly, unwritten goals are merely dreams. Most dreams are unfulfilled because they only happen in your mind and have little chance of success.
Written down, however, the dream becomes a plan, a blueprint that leads you from where you are to where you want to be. This is why filling in goal setting worksheets help you achieve your goals.
Write your goals by hand
Research has shown that there is a powerful link between goals that are written down by hand and goals that are attained. Why? The brain is hardwired to make connections by building neuropathways. When you are physically engaged in a process such as handwriting, your brain builds a pathway.
As you repeat that action, the pathway is reinforced. In addition, the brain forms markers that serve as reminders to help motivate you in pursuit of your goal. Writing down your goals creates over 10,000 new neural pathways. Typing them on a computer? Only 600.
Even more compelling, writing down your goals helps your brain form what researchers call the growth mindset. It is not enough to simply have a goal of being successful. The more specific the goal, the more motivated you are to work towards it.
By putting your goals in writing, your brain will begin to think in terms of your goal, causing what many refer to as a self-fulfilling result. Yes, you can transfer them to an app or online journal later, however, do your brain and your future self a favour – write them out first by hand on a goal setting worksheet.
The best wrote their goals
Some of history’s most successful people are known for keeping a handwritten journal. Anecdotal stories of famed inventor, Thomas Edison, noted film director George Lucas and others abound that demonstrate the importance of keeping a written list of goals, dreams and ideas.
These successful achievers were relentless about jotting down their ideas and dreams, and unsurprisingly, they accomplished many of the items found within the pages of their journals.
Want to join the ranks of successful people who achieve exactly what they want out of life? Pick up a pencil.
Michele Bailey is the Founder and CEO of My Big Idea™. My Big Idea™ workshops include the comprehensive My Big Idea™ Workbook in which participants write, assess and track their goals along their journey to achieving their own idea of success. Learn more about the My Big Idea™ transformational process.
