How does good planning help achieve professional goals?

When was the last time you thought about what goals you want to achieve in your job? Maybe at the last job interview, where the typical question was: "Where do you see yourself in 5 years"? Or perhaps in a one-on-one with your supervisor? It seems everyone knows the feeling - at the beginning of the year, job goals are set in the company from the executive floor, which are supposed to measure the success of the employees for the next twelve months. But are these goals really in line with efficient development and career planning? How can I make sure that I have achieved what I want at the end of the year?

Characteristics of good goals

Good career planning requires good goals. In order to really filter out which goals are relevant to you personally, it can be helpful to question extrinsic expectations - i.e. expectations that are directed at you from outside, superiors, society or family and friends. First and foremost, it is important to examine yourself. What do I really want? What am I willing to put on the back burner? Where can I compromise? And which goals are or were set before me and do not actually suit me at all?

The next step is to formulate the goals correctly. The SMART-Method developed by Locke and Latham, which defines five basic characteristics of good goals, can be a useful guide for goal setting. According to this method, goals are good if they fulfill the following criteria:

• Specific

• Measurable

• Achievable

• Realistic

• Time-bound

This method is about a framework in which good goals can be developed effectively. Accordingly, for the characteristic of specification, it is important not to make goals too large. Specific terminology can help. A subdivision into intermediate goals is also useful. At the same time, this step can be followed by time-bounding these into individual steps. This ensures regular monitoring of progress.

To make goals measurable, they need to be measured as objectively as possible. With regard to profit totals, growth or customer acquisition, simple key figures may be available. In many other areas, such as maximizing customer satisfaction, measurements are not so easy to make objective. Here, goal planning also requires the development of appropriate measurement tools (e.g., a scale on which to base a customer survey).

When setting professional goals, it is also important to include one's personal life in the planning. Are there any major developments coming up in your personal life? Are you planning a major event (such as a wedding) or are you involved in care work in addition to your job? Such or similar personal factors may require a deceleration of the professional career as a whole or over a certain period and should therefore definitely be included in the annual goal setting.

The two aspects achievable and realistic can also be interpreted individually in different directions depending on the person and the goal. Here one cannot avoid dealing with the very questions that were formulated at the beginning. What do I really want? It can help to actively write down motivational sentences about the goals and to formulate them positively. If you fail at doing this, your goal is perhaps too ambitious and should be changed to a more realistic goal.

Finally, the list of characteristics of good goals can be somewhat broader.

Good goals...

• are realistic and concrete.
• are measurable.
• motivate in everyday work.
• are set from your own conviction.
• reflect your personal values and priorities.
• involve personal circumstances.
• are not purely mental decisions: Let heart and head decide in harmony.
• can deviate from corporate goals

Company change as a success booster

You have probably heard the term "job hopper" before. It describes people who change jobs particularly frequently. It is not uncommon for these people to have tremendous success in their career- because negotiating with a new employer can certainly result not only in new fringe benefits, but also in long-term goals, in terms of a higher job title and more salary. Realize, however, that effective long-term goal setting can and should be developed with the employer. Long-term cooperation and clear communication regarding professional goals are more successful than frequent job changes. However, if you have the feeling that you are treading water at your current job and your employer is not willing to talk to you, a change to another company can provide the desired boost to success.

Challenge and realistic planning go hand in hand

With all these characteristics and tips in mind, realize that goals should always be challenging. Without goals that do not challenge you in some way, you will not develop further. Nevertheless, it is still important: Do not overtax yourself! Celebrate even the small milestones and take setbacks into account.