Too often, the goals and projects that can really lead organizations forward receive insufficient attention and thus experience minimal progress. Why is this?
One big reason is a lack of time, but that’s a weak excuse. If the project is important you will find the time to invest in it. Another big reason: sometimes the large, ambitious goals seem unattainable and unrealistic.
Leaders are responsible for steering the organization forward to new heights. It’s your job to make the unattainable become attainable. You need to inspire your team into action and deliver results. Here’s how.
Focus on manageable, actionable steps
Imagine a large pie of pizza. If you weren’t allowed to divide it into slices, what would your approach be? How would you eat the pizza? It’s a lot simpler when you’re able to cut it into 8 smaller pieces! The same is true for large, ambitious projects.
A goal to jump from $500,000 in revenue to $2,000,000 in revenue needs to be broken down into manageable, actionable steps. What increase in revenue is needed each month or quarter to reach the end of year goal? How many leads/calls/appointments are needed each week?
Visualization
Large projects and ambitious goals are not achieved over night. It’s a long process with ups and downs and frequent obstacles. Successful leaders help their team work through the many obstacles and challenges and use them as opportunities. Leaders need to inspire and motivate their team. To do this, you should constantly remind your team what achieving the goal would mean for the company. What are the rewards? What does the company plan to do after? Take it a step further and communicate to your team what achieving the end goal will mean for them. What are the rewards for them? How will it make their job better or easier? The key is to visualize the rewards and make them feel real.
Belief
You and your team need an undefeatable, uncompromising, absolute belief that you are going to achieve the end goal. Anything short of this will not suffice. Be conscious of your own thoughts, actions and behaviors and make sure they are consistent with this notion.
The takeaway
As a leader your job is clear. Make sure your team clearly understands why the goal is important, including any rewards that will come from it. This helps keep them engaged and motivated. Also, give them something they can chew. Break down the large ambitious idea or project into bite size pieces. This helps keep focus on the goal and ensures you and your team are continuously progressing towards the end goal.
