What Are Realistic Goals for 2021?

One approach for us all take in 2021 is to narrow down goals to the top 1-2 priorities and work to make those very measurable. Most organizations I work with have way too many goals.  The challenge with that is then change happens and we tend to write off many of those goals, which then also makes it difficult to drive accountability towards the ones that do matter.

Instead, agree on the top goals.  It doesn’t mean you won’t work toward and accomplish many things, let’s just be clear on priorities.

I worked with a leadership team that presented me with their goals on 10 pages with 5-6 goals per page.  I asked them to hone in on their top priority for the year and asked them to take a walk and discuss.  They came back in 5 minutes with total agreement on their #1 priority for the year.  This alignment drove great success for the year ahead and decisions that impacted the organization for the future.

Implement a 90-day review of the goals and adjust them as needed. 

You may decide for 2021 your goals are 90 day goals rather than annual goals in order to be able to adapt to the unprecedented change we anticipate.

Challenge your mindset in how you look at goals for the year ahead. 

How can you look for the win in uncertainty and use curiosity and open-mindedness to support our business goals and our employees?

Debbie Waggoner, CEO of Nodus Performance Consulting has a solid track record of success with Fortune 500 companies, working with individuals, teams, and organizations to improve performance in the areas of leadership, talent development, and teamwork.