So, you’re not going to reach your quarterly goals…
Whether people admit they are failing or don’t admit to it and lie about their results – either way, you’ve got a problem.
Why you may be failing to achieve your quarterly goals
- Goals aren’t SMART (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, and Time Bound)
- People are too busy, sidetracked or distracted from driving the core business
- No single point of accountability
- Progress and next steps are not reviewed at weekly meetings.
- No culture of accountability – which often means you don’t have a team full of A-Players.
- Now, everyone can have a bad quarter – but it should be rare. If it’s chronic, you have a fundamental management issue. Otherwise, you need to make sure that tools and systems are in place to enable everyone to focus on the highest strategic priorities.
What you can do before the end of the quarter
1. Call a mini-quarterly meeting.
- Be transparent. Identify the root cause of the problem and create some urgency.
- Reset and reprioritize based on the time that’s left in the quarter. Stop everything. Ask ‘What’s the single most important that thing that we’ve got to do?’
2. Ensure your new goals are SMART and crystal clear.
- Set a plan that the team will believe in. Document goals clearly and ensure that they are SMART, in the end.
3. Look at the right data.
- Look at data every week, day or hour as appropriate, so that people can see progress towards their goals – or not – and execute effectively.
4. Meet weekly to create accountability.
- Measure and track progress for the top three to five company goals (10 minutes). For each goal, ask the owner to share the following, in one to two minutes:
- What progress has been made?
- Where are we stuck?
- What’s next?
If it’s a super-critical goal or number, up the ante and put it into daily meeting or start a daily meeting about it – or call a half-day meeting to dig in and work on it, with the team. If you don’t allocate more energy and resources, it’s not likely to move.
Note: Department and individual goals should be reviewed monthly, one-on-one or with the team.
5. Show support
- Offer to work offline to help people who are stuck, overwhelmed or not making progress.
- Check in regularly and create accountability with a weekly plan or checklist against which they execute.
Outsource to a meeting facilitator
If you’re having issues creating an environment of clarity, accountability and natural improvement, at your quarterly meetings, outsource a meeting facilitator. It’s a key driver to get things done because the meeting won’t get canceled or bumped. It’s why our clients ask us to facilitate their quarterly and annual meetings.
The Challenge
- If you’re achieving all your quarterly goals, congratulations! Make sure you and your team celebrate your success.
- If you’re failing to achieve your quarterly goals, what can you do to create a reset and your chances of success?
Want to hear more? Listen to Episode 101 of The Growth Whisperers.
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