Many of us are familiar with this: At the end of a year, we take stock, look at what we have achieved and how our plans are progressing, what we have achieved and how our plans are progressing. For the new year , we formulate goals for the most important areas of our lives and for particularly important projects. Goals are important, because without goals we cannot prioritise topics and tasks prioritise and focus on our priorities.
We also work with goals for the other counsellors. In doing so, we (very loosely) follow the OKR method. Based on our mission and vision and the values that determine our actions, we formulate our annual goals every year. We have already reported on this here in the andersberater:innen logbook: https://andersberater.de/andersberaterinnen-logbuch-37-commitment-auf-werte-und-gute-arbeit/
However, we all experience time and again that the future seems increasingly unpredictable. The world seems to be spinning faster and becoming ever more complex. What is true today, is already outdated tomorrow or has to be re-evaluated in a different context with new information. We work in a 24/7 target/actual comparison and have to constantly react flexibly to everything, that comes into our lives and could potentially jeopardise our plans (and thus our goals). Founders and the self-employed in particular need to develop skills in this area – after all as their existence often depends quite indirectly on how well and quickly they can adapt to changing framework and market conditions.
What can help? And ho w do you resolve this contradiction between”goal-orientation” and”unpredictability”?
We are happy to share our strategies for overcoming this”contradiction” with you:
- Definegoals clearly, but organise paths flexibly: Define the what (the goal) as precisely as possible, but leave room for the how (the path). Instead of creating a rigid plan, develop different scenarios or options, how the goal can be achieved.
- Setmilestones and review them regularly: Divide the big goal into smaller, manageable milestones. Check progress at regular intervals and adjust the course if necessary. This makes it possible to react to unforeseen events, without losing sight of the overall goal.
- Agilität und Anpassungsfähigkeit fördern: Entwickle eine Kultur der Anpassungsfähigkeit und Offenheit für Veränderungen. Sei bereit, von ursprünglichen Plänen abzuweichen, wenn es die Situation erfordert. Agiles Projektmanagement ist ein gutes Beispiel für diesen Ansatz.
- Learn from mistakes and proceed iteratively: View mistakes as learning opportunities and use them to optimise the path to the goal. An iterative approach in which you plan, implement and review in small steps, makes it possible to recognise errors and make corrections at an early stage.
- Focus on the process: Don’t just focus on the end result, but also on the process. A well thought-out and flexible process increases the likelihood, to achievethe goal even under unforeseen circumstances.
All topics that can also be discussed in the coaching sessions with the other consultants 😉
How do you deal with the contradiction described above? What strategies do you use to be successful?
I greet you eagerly and very kindly – and wish us all a healthy, successful and happy year!
Thomas
