January and February have sped past us and we’re fully into the “New Year Scramble.” Tax season looms, there’s big initiatives to kick off or restart, exciting improvements in the works, and the goals list goes on.
Energizing goals you can’t wait to achieve this year.
When you get to December, what will that energy have turned into?
Without a solid process to cascade those goals down into achievable, actionable targets; chances are good some of them will go off the rails.
CEO Phillip knows that he wants to launch a whole new CRM, expand their client base by 10%, increase employee retention by 10%, and streamline performance management. Senior leadership meets about these goals several times, agreeing they’re needed. A whole internal announcement campaign is developed that includes some company lunches and kickoffs, and Todd created these neat signs and nice posters with the goals clearly written.
Several months in though, something isn’t right. No real progress is being made. Things are getting pushed to the back burner. Two different teams seem to have worked on the same goal, but totally separately and now the new CRM is a mess. The Marketing and Sales department can’t agree on the best drivers for obtaining new clients. No one has had a performance review because everyone is too busy and they’re a waste of time anyway. The worst part is that employee retention has gotten WORSE!
How did it all go so sideways? It looked great in the beginning and the energy was high. Phillip feels like he took two steps forward and ten steps back.
The real culprits here were the paths of communication and consistent tracking. They seem intuitive but they’ll get you every time without a process like Catalytic Coaching in place.
Using Focus Areas, top leadership can direct their team on what goals each person and department will be working toward. Then managers will Coach their own direct reports throughout the organization accordingly. This provides clear communication of expectations and understanding of each employee’s role in achieving goals in the Development Plan. With the employees crafting their own Development Plan under their Coach’s guidance, they’ll feel invested in accomplishing them. They’ll be invested in the company’s success.
The follow up is key. Quarterly check in meetings will confirm progress throughout the year. That means you can course correct if anything starts wobbling too far from the path to success.
Employees with clear direction, that feel supported by their managers, and understand how they productively fit into the overall company will be more engaged. That makes them up to 12% more productive, improving their problem solving, and ensuring they’ll stay at your company.
Unhappy employees are a money sink. They could take their talent right out the door. New low level hires cost up to 50% of their first year’s salary to replace, according to SHRM. Mid-level employees can cost a whopping 150%! It’s worth investing in the right tools now to save money in the long run.
Even worse, disengaged employees could stay at your company! That will cost you 34% of that employees annual salary, according to Gallup
How will your goals look come December?
Keep your company on track by:
Cascading goals down in a way that results in individualized action items. Think of it like eating an elephant. That’s a whole lot of elephant and can be overwhelming. If the teams understand which part of the elephant they’re responsible for, then Coaches can better guide their people as to how to tackle it.
Documenting and tracking goals throughout the year. Writing down a goal makes it more likely that you’ll achieve it. With Catalytic Coaching, this is done in the Development Plan and captured by the Energage Coach software. Reporting features empower you to strategically pull vital information to keep you on the right path.
Keeping communication open so red flags and hurdles are caught early. Catalytic Coaching’s check in meetings will review progress, facilitate productive conversation, and allow for positive course correction when needed. No more Disappointing Decembers!
Garold (Gary) Markle is the creator of Catalytic Coaching and author of Catalytic Coaching: The End of the Performance Review. He brings real world experience from 17 years in HR leadership, over 23 years in Senior Leadership, and over 20 years of teaching organizations how to cultivate their leadership and ditch their detrimental performance reviews for a proven Coaching process.
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