Good morning, good afternoon and good evening, wherever you are, and welcome to the My Coach Ben Podcast for Match 2014. This month, we’ll be looking at something without which we’d truly lack direction and focus. Without this we’d have no idea of what we actually want.
In this episode we’ll be unraveling the topic of Goals.
What are Goals?
The Oxford English Dictionary translates Goal as:
Goal (noun)
1 (in soccer, rugby, hockey, and some other games) a pair of posts linked by a crossbar and typically with a net between, forming a space into or over which the ball has to be sent in order to score.
• an instance of sending the ball into or over the goal, especially as a unit of scoring in a game:
the decisive opening goal we won by three goals to two.
• a cage or basket used as a goal in other sports.
2 the object of a person’s ambition or effort; an aim or desired result: he achieved his goal of becoming King of England.
• the destination of a journey:
the aircraft bumped towards our goal some 400 miles to the west.
• literary a point marking the end of a race.
A Goal is the defining of a specific, achievable objective that one aims to accomplish within a certain period of time. It identifies what one wants to achieve, actionable steps to reach that objective, and sets deadlines to track one’s progress. Goals help to provide clarity, motivation, and direction in one’s efforts to complete meaningful tasks or objectives.
In The Workplace
Here I’m going to take a slightly different approach to the norm. Most of us know the SMART method of goal-setting:
1. Specific.
2. Measurable.
3. Achievable.
4. Relevant.
5. Time-Bound.
However, here I’m going to take a step back… how do you actually define goals? In my coaching experience I find that around 50% of the time, people set the wrong goals anyway! Therefore in this case, I’m going to look at how we define goals.
For this purpose, I’m going to use a coaching method called CIGAR. This is a precursor to SMART. What does CIGAR stand for?
1. Current: the current situation as of now.
2. Ideal: the ideal situation
3. Gaps: how large a gap do you perceive to have between the current situation and the ideal?
4. Action: what actions can you take to fill the gap?
5. Review: review the progress of the actions towards the goal.
From the Coaching Perspective
Here are five coaching questions relating to goals, which help you to see if you’re on the right track:
1. What goals have you established for yourself and the progress made on your coaching journey?
2. How have you prioritized these goals so as to focus on what matters the most?
3. Have You Considered Obstacles to Achieve Goals
4. How Will You Track Progress Toward Achieve These Goals, and which strategies will Keep You Motivated and On Target Ultimately?
5. Can you visualize and outline what success looks like for you in terms of reaching your coaching goals?
In summary
We can conclude that goals aren’t simply for the glory. A way of demonstrating how organised our current one is. It’s more than that.
Goals are a means by which our wants and ambitions are defined and detailed. They provide motivation and direction.
If you need help defining of implementing your goals, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.
