Don’t Put Your Personal Development Goals Last
❓ Are you the sort of person who puts yourself last around the holidays?
In the midst of all the year-end business that most of us feel – trying to wrap up commitments, hit revenue and other goals, figure out bonuses and (somehow) think ahead to next year – all while balancing many similar demands at home, one really big item tends to fall through the cracks.
🎯 Our personal development goals. What are you aiming for, for you?
Today I’ll share a simple model to make sure your goals as a leader get the attention they deserve (from you!) in 2024, and how your focus on them supports your team and your business.
First let’s consider three components to the 2024 plan:
1️⃣ Your leadership development goals – How do you want to develop in your work next year. Maybe you want to develop strategy in a new area, become more involved with cross functional activities, or maybe just have more time “to think.” Whatever it is – you owe it to yourself to identify ways you want to develop.
2️⃣ Team development goals – when you think of your direct reports, how do you want them to develop as an operational unit (separate and distinct from individual goals you have for each person)? Maybe this goal involves their communication, how they collaborate, or the team emotional intelligence. All teams can be challenges to function better.
3️⃣ Specific, measurable goals for your business. What are they key metrics that will define success for your area in 2024? Where do you want to see improvement? Every business area is different, but as a leader it’s on you to define success and make sure it can be measured.
In isolation, each of these is fairly easy to understand.
Now comes the harder, and impactful, bit.
🔺 Find the ways in which these three goals align with each other. Alignment allows these goals to become mutually supportive and self-reinforcing. And – crucially for many of us – helps as see that our leadership goals aren’t “selfish” but instead will be beneficial to ourselves, our teams, and our business.
If the goals you came up with don’t align – consider whether they are the right ones. If you have trouble coming up with goals for any of these three areas – drill into the reasons for that a bit more. Maybe you need to work more next year to establish the foundations required for this sort of growth. Or maybe you would benefit from the sort of help I give my leadership clients. Truth be told, all of this is easier said than done for a variety of reasons that coaching can help address.
If you’re thinking about your development in 2024 – or want to be – and want to talk more, connect with me here or at john@aconnectedcoach.com.