Around this time of year, people’s thoughts and priorities often turn to lofty goals and objectives in the form of New Year’s Resolutions. However, when was the last time you stayed true to the ambitions you set in January? Unfortunately, the answer for most of us is- not often.
Entrepreneur.com recently released an intriguing article challenging goal setting, the very premise of New Year’s Resolutions. Rather than focusing on goals that may take weeks, months, or even years to achieve, the author suggests that the real value arises when one focuses on the seemingly repetitive and routine habits that stand between a person and a goal. For instance, consider basketball coaches: their goal would be to win the championship, while their habits would revolve around the team’s daily practices, drills, and workouts.
What should the coach focus on? Winning the championship or improving in practice each day? The goal or the system?
As the author notes, goals have their usefulness for planning and strategy. However, it is the systems that create true change. Focusing on goals may lead to short term results, but focusing on systems leads to long-term, sustainable growth, improvement, and results. For example, suppose a man wants to get into shape. If he simply focuses on this goal alone, he may go to the gym consistently for a couple weeks or even months, but once he sees himself as physically fit, his enthusiasm drops along with the likelihood of him keeping a consistent routine. However, if he focused more on continually improving his lifestyle and workout regime, he is more likely to make lasting changes while also greatly increasing his overall physical health.
Now apply this concept to your organization. Do you set high goals for yourself? Or do you focus more on the processes and systems your business uses on a routine basis? As with many choices in life, a healthy balance is the best approach in most cases. Goals provide an organization with a direction and objective to work toward while a culture focused on systems and habits keeps your business driven to make continuous improvements.
At AMEND, we set high goals both for ourselves and the businesses we serve. More importantly, we have the tools and experience necessary to drive continuous system and process improvement through the following three basic steps:
- Examining your existing processes.
- Identifying limitations.
- Deploying tools that will transform your business for continued success.
At AMEND, we wholeheartedly believe in our ability to create transformational change through continuous process improvement so that you can reach every goal for your company.
