If you want the best chance of successfully achieving your goals and dreams then you are going to need some sort of plan. Here are some tips, steps and templates to help you plan and achieve any goal.

“If you can dream it, you can do it.”

Walt Disney

What is a goal?

A goal is something you want to achieve. It could be a personal ambition or a group objective. It is an idea that you envision and then plan and commit to fulfilling.

The Importance of goal setting

The process of setting goals helps us psychologically to encapsulate an idea and commit us to action. Working towards a goal gives us the feeling of positive forward movement.

It also helps practically as setting goals allows us to quantify our end-state and qualify our success. Having a set goal allows us to measure our progress and reflect and learn as we work towards it.

Setting goals allows us to know when we have succeeded in something and provides the opportunity to celebrate when we achieve the goal.

“We aim above the mark to hit the mark.”

Ralph Waldo Emerson

The Importance of Plans

Whether you are an individual thinking about a career change or personal development, a team undertaking an innovative project, or a large organisation rolling out a new strategy you will need a plan of some sort.

Action plans do not need to be overly complicated. For example, at the simplest level, to-do lists and shopping lists can be crude but effective action plans.

If you are an individual aiming to achieve a simple goal such as going on holiday the details of the plan will, of course, be very different to a large multinational corporation making an action plan for launching their next product. But despite this, the initial questions that you need to ask are very similar.

The steps to making a plan and achieving your goals

To achieve the goals you just need to follow these simple steps and create your plan:

1. Ask yourself why do you want to do the thing you are thinking about?

Asking why helps to work out what you value and what motivates you.

To find out more about discovering your principles, passions and priorities go to the post What are your personal values?

2. Work out where you are and where you want to go

You need a start point and an endpoint. First think about your present situation, where you are now. This situational analysis helps to set the context for starting out with your goal.

Next, think about where you want to be when you have succeeded in your goal. This is the vision or dream you want to achieve.

If you want more help in developing your vision statement read What is a vision statement and why are they important?

3. Define what your overall mission is and what success looks like.

Now that you worked out where you want to get to you can define what the endpoint actually is.

Describe exactly what success looks like; the criteria that show exactly when you have achieved your goal. This is your goal or mission statement.

For more detail on this process have a look at What is a mission statement and why do you need one?

4. Think about which ways you could achieve success and consider the advantages and disadvantages of each option.

There are different routes you can take to achieve the goal. Which one seems the best? Think about what the risks might be and what advantages and disadvantages there are to each option. Then you can work out what you believe to be the best option to choose.

For more help with this section have a look at Which is your best course of action?

5. Pick your preferred goal and work out how you are going to achieve the goal.

Now that you have considered the options and picked your favourite you can start to plan how you are going to achieve it. Think about: What are the steps you need to take? What resources might you need?

For more detail look at How do you set goals, tasks and milestones for a plan and also Setting goals and tasks the SMART way.

6. Break the goal down into steps, noting who can help you.

You don’t have to do everything on your own, even if this is a personal plan rather than a group one. As you break down the goal into steps think about who might be able to assist you or give you advice.

If you would like to find out more about this step read Networking and the power of relationships in building a team.

7. Schedule the individual steps into your diary to define when you will achieve them.

Now that you have a list of steps you can put them into your diary. I tend to keep my list of goals and steps on my phone then prioritise them and put the most important next steps straight into my diary. A step should be easily achievable, something you can do in minutes or at most hours. The one most important thing you need to do should be the next thing in your diary, even if that’s a simple 5-minute task such as making a phone call.

Picking the right time is also important. For more on this have a look at The secret of perfect timing.

“When it is obvious that the goals cannot be reached, don’t adjust the goals, adjust the action steps.”

Confucius

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Asking The Right Questions to achieve goals

This process reflects The Right Questions decision-making process and can be applied quickly – as a rapid problem-solving method – or in a more lengthy in-depth study to formulate a detailed plan or strategy.

The Right Questions planning process employs the seven basic interrogatives in the English language (why, where, what, which, how, who, when) to provide an easy to remember and holistic approach to problem-solving.

You can find out more about The Right Questions and how to apply them via the following link:

What are The Right Questions for Decision Making and Strategic Planning?

Goal setting and personal plan templates

Whether you are doing a quick appreciation of a situation or looking at a problem in greater detail it is useful to create a simple summary of your conclusions. Practically it is useful to have this summary on a single piece of paper that is quick and easy to refer to and easily communicated or shared.

A personal action plan template can help you achieve this headline view of the challenge you are facing and remind you of the critical factors you need to address. If you post the action plan in a prominent place – be it your noticeboard, fridge or computer screen – it will also help to keep you accountable to the next steps you need to take in your plan.

Here is a simple pdf template (pictured below) to capture your personal plan for achieving goals. You can download the template for your use below:

What resources do you need to achieve your goal? How do you estimate those resources for your plan? Which ways can you get the resources you need?

Quite often we limit ourselves and our plan to our present resources.  After all, it is reasonable to ask ‘Which holiday can I afford?’ before going and booking one.  Budgeting is good stewardship and I would certainly not recommend getting into debt on a whim.

But we will never be able to dream big or make macro leaps forward if we limit our goals to what we can achieve with the resources we have now.  It is better to first ask what we are passionate about doing, working out the resources required, and then thinking creatively of ways to get what we need.  That is why this question comes some way down the planning process.

The importance of logistics

An army needs logistics. A large portion of every military is concerned with delivering the right resources to the right people in the right places.  In fact, there are many more logisticians than infantry soldiers in the average army.  But the army does not exist for logistics. It has a mission to achieve. That aim is very rarely just to do with just moving men and equipment from one place to another.  Logistics is a large and essential part of achieving your aim. But it is there to support the mission, not to drive it.  History testifies to the fact that an army will beg, borrow and steal if necessary to get the job done if (or rather when) logistics fail.  You can still achieve your aim when resources are difficult to come by if you remain focussed; as the United States Marine Corps would say: you just need to ‘improvise, adapt and overcome!’

The right motivation is key

This is because there are very few times when finances and resources are fixed.  A compelling vision inspires us to innovate and save. It motivates us to earn and raise the funding that we need and find the tools to get the job done.

Why is it that many people who win the lottery often struggle. Why do they end up having spent their money within a few years?  The gambling industry sells winning as the dream; it does not provide a vision for what comes beyond that.  Many people who win do not have a clear idea of what they want to do with the money. They might take a nice holiday and pay off the mortgage but that is not a grand vision. Anyway, these things can be done without playing the lottery or the roulette wheel.

People who make (and keep) large amounts of money use it productively. Resources that continue to grow are usually driven by a vision beyond that of just making cash.  Bill Gates, the richest man in the world for most of the last decade, was not motivated primarily by money.  When he started Microsoft with Paul Allen they had a vision of a computer in every home. This dream, of how computing could transform the world, drove Microsoft. It became the most successful software business in the world and made Bill Gates a multi-billionaire.

Money, Manpower and Materiel

So we start with the dream and then work out what we need to make it a reality.  When we need to make something happen it generally comes down to the three ‘M’s:

• Money
• Manning
• Materiel

Cash, workers and equipment are all important but it is usually the first element, the money, which drives others; so this is the primary consideration here (we will look at the people issue more under the Who question).

Estimating the cost

When we have our dream or our goal, we can start to put a cost against it.  If it is hard to assess the cost for a whole goal we can break it down, as we have done previously, and cost each constituent task or step.

Remember to put a cost against the time you invest in achieving the goal.  When doing something yourself you can feel you are getting it done for free but that is not actually true.  Our time is worth something, even if it is just the opportunity-cost of not being able to do something else while we are engaged with a task we have decided upon.

Often it will turn out cheaper to pay someone else to do a task that can be delegated as this leaves you just the things that no-one else can do and you will achieve your goal all the sooner.  We will look at delegation some more under the ‘Who’, but having broken down tasks and now putting costs to them will help you make decisions on the team you might need.

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Alternative funding

Once you have estimated a cost for each individual task you will get an idea of the budget for the whole project.  Once this has been done you can start to think creatively about how to reduce the costs. Or you can seek further resources in more inventive ways (and no I am not talking about stealing here!).

For example, instead of paying for a qualified professional, could you get someone to do the work voluntarily? Perhaps you could offer them experience as an intern? If someone is still in training or education they may value the experience more than pay.  Alternatively, think about what service or product you might be able to offer someone in return. Bartering is as old as trade itself but sometimes people forget it. I have used this sort of transaction in building my business. For example I have coached people in return for help with my website.

I used this method when I employed someone to develop my website. They worked on the website in return provided some coaching to help them further their career. It was an easy win for both of us, and no cash changed hands.

Fuel the dream

Considering the resources we need and how we are going to get them is an important aspect of how we make our dreams real.  An idea becomes a lot more tangible as we think about and assess the tools and materials we need for the job. It can take some time, and may not be as liberating as some of the big picture thinking, but it is important so stick with it!

“First, have a definite, clear practical ideal; a goal, an objective. Second, have the necessary means to achieve your ends; wisdom, money, materials, and methods. Third, adjust all your means to that end.” Aristotle

“Happiness is a positive cash flow.” Fred Adler – Venture capitalist

I may not be a millionaire but in many senses, I am rich.  This is because for much of my life I have had the pleasure of not having to worry month by month about the balance in my current account.  When billions of people are worrying about whether they will have a decent meal today or if they will have a roof over their head tonight then it is good to be thankful for such mercies.

But I did not start out flush with cash and there have been times since where things have been a real struggle. At times every business pitch seems to fall flat, work is short and reserves are needed to keep afloat.  At such times I have become very keenly interested in profit, loss and cash flow and therefore they should be things we have a handle on before we hit a challenge.

The day to day challenge of cash flow

In a previous post, we looked at cost and resourcing in the context of a given task or project.  When thinking in project terms, the finances are focused on a finite amount that we are wanting to raise and control.  When thinking about a business there may well be projects that we want to achieve, but the day-to-day of the business is defined by profit and loss and – perhaps even more importantly – by cash flow. So I just want to highlight some crucial things to remember before we move on.

Cash flow is important as it determines the rate of return and affects liquidity. As Dragon’s Den star Peter Jones points out:

“There’s nothing more important than cash – cash flow issues are one of the biggest causes of company failures.”[1]

Liquidity is especially important to the SME (small and medium-sized enterprise). This is because you may well have invoices on the way but if they don’t arrive in time (to pay off your own debts) then your company can go under. Then it does not matter how profitable you are on paper. This is why all companies need a reserve of some sort, to manage these cash-flow challenges.

Cash flow and personal finance

The same goes for personal finances; after all a household is effectively a small-sized business.  You have certain a certain income and outgoings.  Each month you need to make sure more comes in than goes out.  If you achieve this then the amount left over is profit. This is the bit you get to choose how to use; to save or invest, could be considered profit.  If you spend more than you earn then quickly you will get into debt.  As debts compound it can become impossible to pay them off and then your household or business goes bust.  It is very simple.

As an individual, this could mean being declared bankrupt or as an organisation going into administration or liquidation. Either way, it will be a huge hurdle in you fulfilling what you set out to achieve. So, it is best to reduce the risk of this happening. Do this by planning as carefully as possible and keeping on top of your accounts.

Keeping your accounts and balancing the books

At the most simple level, you may just need a ledger or spreadsheet with three columns: one for money in, one for money out, and one to work out what’s leftover. This gives you a snapshot of your finances at any one time. If you then produce a table predicting this information over a period of weeks or months, then you have the making of a cash flow forecast.

The issues of profit, loss and cash flow are perhaps most important when starting out in a new business.  It can often take several years for a company to really become profitable and for finances to stabilise.  It is therefore those first few years where the business is most vulnerable.

The Business Case and forecasting cash flow

Part of the business case and business plan at the beginning will be forecasting the finances over this critical time.  If you want to attract finance or get a business loan then any investor will want to examine these figures.  It is part of their risk management; they want to get their money back, with interest.  You need to be profitable for them to be profitable.

It can be tempting to be overly optimistic about your finances in the beginning stages of a business.  Therefore I recommend you produce several models for your cash flow: a best case, most likely case and worst-case scenario. Work out the most stripped-down version of what you need to operate and the investment required, as well as your preferred initial equity.

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Final thoughts

I am not going to go into more detail on book-keeping here as it is outside the remit of this post. There are plenty of good resources on accounting that you can look at. Software packages such as Microsoft Excel and Apple’s Numbers provide spreadsheet templates. These can be used for household and business budgets as well as cash flow forecasts. I have also suggested some useful links below where you can get more information.

The most important thing is to have a method that works for you where you can track you’re finances. And remember, cashflow is at least as important as profit, especially if you are a small enterprise!

Project planning is all out working out your plan in time and space. In The Right Questions Framework, the ‘When’ question relates to the ‘How’ of tasks and resources. As well as mapping these against time the ‘when’ also revisits the concept of priorities, first looked at under ‘why’. Putting this all together brings us to the concept of programming. There are various ways to graphically show a time-based plan but the Gantt Chart is probably the best known and most frequently used.

Programming

I was part of the initial project management team working on the construction of ‘The Shard’, the new tower above London Bridge station, which is the tallest building in Western Europe.  It goes without saying that it is massive and complex; too big to contemplate in all its detail.  What’s more, it is unique, there is not another building quite like it anywhere in the world.  Considering this, how could someone possibly decide how long it was going to take to build?  The key, as we looked at it under the ‘How’ question, was to break the whole plan down into manageable pieces. It is hard to estimate how long it will take to build a 330m tower, but you can start by working out how long it will take to construct one pillar or fit one window.

We can do the same for our goals.  We are already mostly there as under ‘How’ we broke down our dreams into goals and our goals into tasks.  It should be easier to assess the time for one task and if we need even greater accuracy we can break the task down into steps and work out the duration for those.

By doing this we are building up a programme (a plan with timings) to achieve our vision.  We have identified goals, worked out the necessary tasks and resources and now given time to each step.  Through this process, the dream starts to become more tangible.  Once again, don’t worry if you can’t work out everything – the important thing is to know the next few steps in enough detail to start to act.

Critical path analysis and keeping things simple

If you work out all of the activities that you need to achieve and the duration of each task then you will have a fully functioning programme; the sort of thing a project manager will create.  When you put all your activities into sequence the quickest route through the plan becomes the ‘critical path’ and gives you the shortest duration to achieve your aim.

Remember: a programme can include as little or as much detail as you need.  The important thing is that the programme helps you to plan and helps you track your progress towards a goal.  My advice is to start simple and if you can’t fit it legibly on one A4 page, or it starts being hard to understand, simplify it.

Gantt Chart Example

Earlier when we looked at tasks and milestones we looked at the example of building a shed. Let’s use the same example to make a simple programme. We can start by estimating the duration for each activity:

• Work out what type and size of shed you need and where it will go. We will need to go out and do some measuring so let’s assume 1 hour.
• Select the best shed to suit your purpose. This might require some time researching on the internet so let’s give ourselves 2 hours.
• Purchase the shed. I am planning to do this online, so once I have decided on the right shed, it should only take me only a few minutes.  It is a good idea to always give ourselves 30 minutes, even for a simple task, so I am going to assign a half-hour here.
• The shed is delivered. This is a milestone so I will not give it a duration. But, there is likely to be a time lag between purchasing and delivery and I will assume it will be 48 hours between payment and receiving the goods.
• Prepare the ground. I will need to level the ground and my garden is on a slope so this is likely to take some time. I will initially give myself 4 hours. This could take longer, especially if foundations are required. So I might have to re-calculate this after inspecting the ground and the shed I have chosen.
• Erect the walls. I am going to allow myself 2 hours for this task. This job will probably require the help of another person. I will have to ask someone to help soon to prevent my project from being delayed.
• Construct the roof and make it waterproof. Again I will estimate around 2 hours for this.
• Fit the door and windows. This could be a fiddly job so once again I am going to give myself 2 hours here
• Furnish the shed ready for use. This will likely require popping to the shops again so I am going to give myself 3 hours for this.
• Start using the shed. This is a milestone so I won’t give it a duration.

Now we can create a pictorial representation of the programme. This is known as a Gantt Chart (named after Henry Gantt, the man who developed the idea). Putting all the activities into the correct order, I have created a Gantt Chart. You can see the first version in Figure 1:

You will notice that as I start to fit the tasks into normal working hours, some activities roll forward. Now they take place over several days. I can now see that I won’t be able to start using the shed until the 5^th day.

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Prioritising

“Time is free, but it’s priceless. You can’t own it, but you can use it. You can’t keep it, but you can spend it. Once you’ve lost it you can never get it back.” Harvey MacKay

Time is limited so therefore within the plan we need to prioritise.  There is never enough time to do everything. Therefore, we need to be able to decide which things to forgo.  Our values point us towards our priorities and that helps us make the right decisions, especially when under pressure.

We have to know the tasks that are vital to success but this is not always straightforward to ascertain.  Therefore, we may need to go through a process of elimination until we can perceive the essential elements.

Which things can be done concurrently?  Which tasks could you delay or rearrange? What could you delegate or even dispense with altogether?  By asking these sorts of questions you get down to the bare bones of what are the vital actions.  You may well find that you can refine your programme after asking these questions.

For example, looking at our shed project again I can see that I don’t need to wait for the shed to arrive in order to prepare the ground. I can save myself some time by starting this task while I am waiting for the shed to be delivered as you can see in Figure 2:

You can see that by getting on with the groundwork concurrently I have reduced the total duration of the project by a day. Therefore, I will now be able to start using the shed on day 4.

Cash Flow and Budgeting

After adding the duration to the tasks the next thing to do is to add the resources needed for each activity.  This is the next layer of the programme and can be added to your table or spreadsheet.

In this way, we can establish not just the cost of any task but also the yearly, monthly, weekly or daily cost of a goal or activity.  In other words, we create a cash flow forecast or budget.

After doing all this you should be able to link the dream you have right through to the very next step you need to take.  Hopefully, you will also know exactly how long it will take and how much it will cost.  You can now put that step in your diary and you are on your way!

Project Management Programming Software

The Gantt Charts for this post was created using Merlin Project Management Software. Merlin 2 is the best project management programming software that I have used for the Mac and if you want to find out more or try a demo then click here.

Merlin is very similar to Microsoft Project, the main software I have used on PC. This is something of the industry standard for project management software, although perhaps not the best.

We do not always think in terms of risk but there is risk in every decision we make. The risk is always balanced against the opportunity to some degree or another. Risk assessment, risk management and risk strategies are processes we can add to our decision-making process. We need some way to consider and manage risk. This is because our decisions and planning are continually influenced by our attitude to risk.

“Great deeds are usually wrought at great risks.”  Herodotus

High anxiety

One summer I was mountaineering in the French Alps with a group of friends.  We had just spent a few days bagging some routes when someone had the idea of tackling a nearby climb. It was not one we originally planned to do as it was a higher grade than we were generally comfortable with.

That season there had been very little snow and the ridges were more exposed and icy than usual. So, as this route was following a ridge, I argued that it would be in bad condition. It was likely to be even harder than the guidebook suggested.  The weather was also set to change for the worse, so as far as I could see, the risks outweighed the opportunity.

I thought my logic was sound but the person who had proposed the climb was very persuasive. He managed to get the other two members of the group to agree with him. They wanted to give the climb a go.  It was three against one, and I knew they needed four people to attempt the route. Therefore the pressure was on for me to accept the majority decision. But I genuinely believed it was not a safe option. It was a tough conversation. I then made myself very unpopular when I refused to do the climb. It was a stand-off. They needed a fourth climber and therefore all we could do as a group was head back down the valley.

A good call

Fortunately for them, the other three found another willing climber. I meanwhile, by now feeling somewhat sheepish, decided to go trekking for a couple of days. As I was on my own I decided to stay below the snow line and try and avoid the bad weather.

I spent most of the next few days feeling guilty about being stubborn but when I returned I found that my decision had been justified.  The weather had deteriorated and the route proved to be in poor condition, as I had predicted.  After a few hours of struggling in dangerous conditions, my old climbing partners were forced to make an emergency descent. The deteriorating weather meant they also had to make a hasty retreat back down the valley.

It turned out that they were the lucky ones; that weekend ten people lost their lives in the Mont Blanc area as high winds whipped people off icy ridges.

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Risk affects our decision making

Life is full of decisions and intuitively we are assessing risks all the time, even if they are not as obvious as the ones in the previous example.  As we pursue our dreams we will be frequently faced with various options of ways to achieve our aims.  In order to navigate our course, we have to assess the factors, consider the risks, and make decisions as to the best way to go.  Sometimes to help answer the question ‘which way should I go?’ it is prudent to consider ‘which way shouldn’t I go?’ and this particular question is all about risk.

If a venture is suddenly deemed too risky, it is the surest thing that will stop us from acting; no matter how attractive the option first seemed. Therefore, risks need to be identified, assessed, mitigated and managed, so that we are in the best possible place to make our decisions.

Capacity for risk varies between people and situations so it is important to remember that this is an ongoing process of identification and management.  At the same time, we don’t want to become defensive, timid or risk-averse. Achieving bold visions means taking risks; we just need to make sure we have counted the cost before we commit ourselves.

When to consider risk

In The Right Questions Framework, we consider risk when we look at options. This comes under the Which question.

You don’t want to start a venture by looking at risk. If you do, the problems could easily become paralysed before you even start.  But, if you plan without considering the risk, you could quickly become disillusioned or make a serious mistake that could be hard to recover from.  Therefore it is at the point when one has a clear idea of what we need to achieve, and are considering different options to achieve that goal, that we look at risks.

“Take calculated risks.  That is quite different from being rash.”  General George S Patton

How to manage risk

Unnecessary risks can be avoided by careful planning and this process is part of your risk management process.  Your approach to risk – which risks you tolerate and those you treat – becomes your risk management strategy.

This exercise is a helpful aid to decision-making, but remember, that one should never make a decision out of fear.  Some risks will be big – you just need to know whether that danger is acceptable to achieve your aim.  Effective risk management helps us to achieve our mission, but with the risks considered and reduced as much as possible, not at the exclusion of risk entirely.  Remember, it is more important to do the right thing than the safe thing.

As you go into the process of identifying and evaluating the risks I recommend, that if you are part of a larger team, that you go through the following exercise first as an individual and then as a collective. This avoids group-think and other related biases.

Once you all have some ideas you are likely to find that as a team you will have a healthy (frequently robust) discussion about how to categorise risks. This is due to people’s different viewpoints; do not worry, this is a productive process. Diversity of thought will help you all evaluate risks more effectively and help you learn more about how the team thinks and operates. This inclusive process will also allow people to express any fears, find solutions and commit to the final plan.

Risk Management Process

Here is a simple risk process. If you follow this exercise you will be able to identify the key risks you face and create a basic risk management strategy:

• Play devil’s advocate for a moment: give yourself 5 minutes to try and think of as many things as you can that could put a stop to your venture and list all these threats.
• On a scale of 1 to 5 give each risk a score of how probable it is to occur (5 being the most likely).
• Now do something similar, scoring 1 to 5 for the severity of the impact of each of the risks.  In this case, a ‘1’ might be a minor inconvenience whereas a ‘5’ would be a show-stopper.
• For each risk multiply the probability score and the impact score so you get a score of 1-25 for each risk.  You can now rank all the risks in a table.
• Start at the top with the biggest risks and think about how you can avoid, prevent, limit the damage or otherwise manage the risk.  This is called mitigation.  Write down the plan for each risk and after the mitigation measures have been applied score the risk again for likelihood and impact to see how it has improved and whether it is acceptable to you (and/or your team).
• Now consider whether the opportunities outweigh the risks for the course of action you have chosen. If you are unsure, you can go back and look at the risks in more detail for another course of action that you generated previously.
• Once you have identified the most important risks make someone responsible for the management of each risk. They do not carry all the risk (or blame if it goes wrong) but they do have responsibility for tracking the risk on behalf of the team.

Record and review your risks

There are lots of ways you can record the information you get from this process. Most businesses have spreadsheets to capture the key operational or project risks. Find what works for you but my advice is to keep it simple. If the document is too big and complicated people won’t read it.

The other thing is to keep it up to date. Make sure you review the risks on a regular basis. The situation changes; new risks emerge, other risks fade. Make sure you are tracking them.

But don’t get obsessed or paralysed by risk. After all, who dares wins!

How should we delegate work effectively? What is a SMART or SMARTER task, and how can they help?

When we set ourselves a goal, we want to stick to it. Equally, as a leader or manager, you have to effectively delegate tasks in order for your team to perform well and to achieve your aim.

But this is simpler in theory than in practice. Often a leader’s’ experience is that – even when you think you have delegated something effectively – you still encounter problems. People may keep coming back and bugging you with questions, or alternatively the task is not done on time, or the job is not completed to the right standard.

To help avoid these issues we can use the acronym ‘SMART’ when delegating work. SMART stands for:

• Specific,
• Measurable,
• Attainable,
• Relevant and
• Time-bound.

This method is accredited to George T. Doran (who first described a version of the acronym in the November 1981 edition of Management Review) and since then the method has evolved to encompass various adaptations of the acronym including having an E (for evaluate) and an extra R (for re-evaluate) to create ‘SMARTER’ goals.

Let’s look at each one in more detail.

What a SMART or SMARTER task actually means

S – Specific

When you give someone a goal it needs to be specific. It needs to be clearly defined and unambiguous. Whether it is a large mission or a smaller task you need to express what success looks like.

Specific is the most useful word here but you could also substitute ‘significant’ or ‘stretching’ in here if you want to make a task more aspirational (such as a ‘BHAG’ – Big Hairy Audacious Goal – promoted by Jim Collins in Good to Great) or use it as a reminder to keep things ‘simple’ or ‘sustainable’.

M – Measurable

Next, the task needs to be measureable. In other words, it needs to be possible to track the progress of completion of the goal. If the task is a big one you might need to break it down into separate activities and set milestones to help monitor progress.

Having specified the goal and broken it down to measure it you have the fundamentals of a plan.

A – Attainable

It is good for goals to stretch us but the ‘A’ here makes us ensure that the task is attainable. We can be bold but the task needs to be achievable. A task can stretch a person or a team (this is healthy) but if you are asking the impossible of someone, it will quickly become de-motivational. As a leader, you set goals to help people grow, not to set them up for failure.

Therefore by asking this question we also consider whether the person in question is properly equipped and supported to achieve the task. If it is our goal then we need to reflect upon our readiness. As a manager, we should be checking that whoever we delegate to has the right training and resources to complete their work.

R – Relevant

The task needs to be relevant to the vision of the team or organisation. Ask yourself, does this piece of work take you a step closer to achieving your overall mission? It is in line with your values? If not you may need to redefine the task.

The work also needs to be relevant to the person you are delegating to. Are they the best person for the job? Is it part of their role and job description? Do they have the relevant skills and experience? Will they be developed by this task?

T – Time Dependent

Having to create a timeline makes you properly assess how long a piece of work should take. Considering time also makes you evaluate your priorities and any dependencies that one task may have upon another.

Deadlines also help to keep people accountable for finishing and stop a piece of work dragging on endlessly. The time element, as with everything else, should be set in agreement with the person you are delegating to so that you all ‘contract in’ to the parameters for the work.

E – Evaluate

Adding in the ‘E’ of ‘Evaluate’ is useful as it brings in the discipline of reviewing how well work has been done. It gives the opportunity for feedback; praise, constructive criticism and learning on behalf of the manager and worker.

For a larger goal you might want to consider these evaluation steps and plan them in along with your overall deadline. Make evaluation time dependent too.

R – Re-evaluate

Decision making and learning happen in a cycle. We recognise this by adding the re-evaluation step here. Re-evaluation is a continuation of the learning from the ‘Evaluate’ phase. Once you have identified lessons at the evaluation phase these should be incorporated in the next stage of the activity. This gives the opportunity to learn and improve as the task progresses.

For example, the first time around the deadline might not have been achieved or the person may have needed more support to achieve the goal. Once the task has been re-set and re-started then the results can be re-evaluated to identify improvement.

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Set SMART goals and SMARTER tasks

Setting SMART goals helps us ensure that goals are actually achieved. It helps take the goal from an idea to a plan that we have committed to.

Equally the SMARTER approach provides a useful checklist and process by which both a manager and employee can agree upon the parameters for a task and be accountable for its outcome. Setting SMARTER tasks helps to build in the reviewing and learning from goals that if often forgotten or neglected.

So what is your next goal or task? Apply the SMART or model and make sure it happens!

A business case is a keystone document to any new project, start-up or business. It is usually a formal document that outlines the reasons for the venture, looks at options and weighs up the cost-benefit of the proposal.

In project management the business case is part of the Initiation phase of the Project Life Cycle and forms part of the Project Initiation Document (PID) in PRINCE2.

How do you write a business case? 

A good business case is concise and it is worth remembering that most ideas can be summarised on one piece of paper. A well-crafted proposal will be interesting to read and the vision should be clear.  Subsequently the document should capture the imagination of those who are sanctioning the project. The business case should also consider the options available and provide evidence to support the recommendation.  This in turn will make the proposal easier to agree to.

What should you include?

There are many different formats available for building business cases but there is no one perfect template.  However, they generally include some common elements, such as the following:

• Overview – An executive summary of the business case. An introduction and background to the project.
• Aim – The issue, purpose or demand. The objective and scope of the project.
• Benefits – The benefits and outcomes of the project.
• Options – Outline of the courses of action available.
• Risks – Identification of the most serious risks for each option and how they be mitigated.
• Costs – Outline of costs for each option and required resources. Investment profile and cost/risk/benefit analysis.
• Duration – Key dates, time constraints and outline schedule.
• Recommendations – Choice of course and next steps.

In project terms these reflect the key elements of the Project Management Triangle (the Triple Constraint model) that reflects the interdependencies between time, cost, scope and quality. The business case should help to identify which are the most important elements and priorities within this relationship.

Business Case Template

One easy way to remember the key elements of a business case is by using The Right Questions method.  If you follow through The Right Questions process it will allow you to explore the questions that you need to answer.  Then these answers can be place into the appropriate format.

For example, if we take some of the key questions from The Right Questions process and combine them with the business case outline from above we can come up with the following business case template:

Heading	Questions
Overview	Where have we come from to get to this point?  Where are we now? What is the present situation? Where do we want to get to with this project?   Why do we need this project? Why does the project align with our values? Why do we believe the project will succeed?   Who are the stakeholders in the project? Who is the market?
Aim	What is the aim?  What is the scope of the project?
Benefits	What are the benefits?    Who are the beneficiaries?
Options	Which options are available to us?
Risks	Which risks are attached to these options?  Which are the most important risks? Which mitigation measures can be applied?
Costs	How much will each option cost?  How will resources be allocated? How do we measure the costs versus the benefits? How do we measure progress?
Duration	When does the project need to be completed by?  When can we start? When can each element of the project be achieved (the schedule or programme)
Recommendations and Conclusions	Which option is recommended and why?    Who should be in the team? Who needs to sign off on the business case?

Once the business case is written and refined it is possible to revisit each of the stages of The Right Questions process again and therefore add more detail. This will provide the basis of your project plan.

If you would like access to some bonus content and get updates then please do sign up for my email list.

What do you most want to achieve in life? Which is your biggest personal goal? Do you know what you need to do in order to succeed? Would you like some good coaching questions to help you?

Don’t worry, help is here! In the time it takes to drink a cup of coffee you can work through the coaching questions in this post and have a much better plan for achieving your life goals.

As a coach, I spend a lot of time helping people think through their life goals and how to achieve them. I ask questions to help them through their decision-making process and then to outline an action plan that they can follow.

Self-coaching using coaching questions

You cannot beat going through this process with a professional coach (yes, I am biased, but evidence supports this claim) but there is a lot you can achieve on your own. I have produced this list of questions so that you can coach yourself through setting and achieving your goals.

The idea of the question process is to capture those big life dreams and break them down until you know exactly what the first step towards success is. To do this the questions are used in order, to explore your desires, delve into the motivations behind them, look at options for achieving your goals and then develop a plan for succeeding in that aim. By the end of the process, the questions lead to working out exactly what needs to be done, when, and who can help with your plan.

Answer the questions in the order they are written down here. You can answer these questions in a journal, on your device or even a scrap of paper, but I recommend you keep your answers. Recording your answers means that you have an action plan that you can refer to and refine.

“A goal without a plan is just a wish.”

Antoine de Saint-Exupery

20 self-coaching questions to set and achieve your life goals

What next?

Well done! Even just taking the time to think and work through these questions means that you are closer to achieving your goals. The next thing to do is to commit to that first step. Put it in your diary straight away. It might also help to tell someone else about what you plan to do – it is easier to commit to a plan if you have shared it.

Then, as soon as you have succeeded in that first task, plan for the next one. Then the next. It is those little steps that lead to achieving big goals.

“Great things are not done by impulse, but by a series of small things brought together.”

Vincent Van Gogh

Which meetings do you have coming up? How will you ensure that your next meeting is a success?

Most of us have a love-hate relationship with meetings. We get frustrated with how much time they take up but also appreciate that meetings, at some level, are important. So, if we are going to commit time to them, what are the parameters that will make the meeting productive?

If you want a meeting to go well it is vital to prepare effectively. As illustrated in my last post, by answering 7 simple questions you can plan for success. To build on these questions, this post explores the main types of meetings and the subtle differences between them. This is knowledge that has been won through years of not only running gatherings but also through coaching other facilitators and teaching about meetings on leadership courses.

There are lots of types of meetings but most fall into the following categories:

1. Briefing
2. Teaching
3. Decision-making
4. Problem-solving
5. Brainstorming
6. Team building
7. Kick-off
8. Progress
9. Planning
10. One-to-one

Each of these will be considered in more detail but I appreciate it is a long read so you may want to bookmark this article, focus on the section relating to your next meeting, and then come back for reference.

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Briefing

These are short meetings to convey important information.

Why have this meeting?

These meetings take place when critical information needs to be communicated.

What does success look like?

Success is that the people that attend the meeting receive and understand the critical information.

Where should it take place?

The venue should have minimal distractions. Find a place that helps people focus.

Who should be invited?

Be specific. Ensure you target the people who need to hear and understand the content.

When and how long?

If a briefing is of a critical nature, then the timeline is likely to be a short one. This sort of meeting should be brief – as the title implies – and the content should just cover the essentials.  In my experience, these sorts of briefs can be less than 20 minutes, including questions.

How should it be run?

These didactic meetings are generally one-way, followed by questions. Preparation is key if the meeting is to be concise. Using a single visual aid –  such as a single slide, plan or map – can aid focus.

Which options should I consider?

Online is an option for briefings, especially if timelines are tight and teams are dispersed. But remember, people often find it harder to focus online so reinforce the critical points.

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Teaching Forums

These are meetings to disseminate useful information and ideas.

Why have this meeting?

To share learning and educate people.

What does success look like?

Attendees should feel they have learned something important and worthwhile.

Where should it take place?

The venue is driven by the size of the audience; therefore, it could be anything from a small meeting room to a huge auditorium. Holding this sort of meeting online is a good option as this allows maximum attendance (and makes the gathering easy to record).

Who should be invited?

Make sure you target people you need to attend but beyond that education meetings can have a more open invitation.

When and how long?

Teaching sessions can be programmed far in advance to maximise attendance. In terms of length, aim for less than 40 minutes. People’s ability to maintain their attention and retain knowledge goes down sharply beyond this.

How should it be run?

Success is dependent upon the quality of the presenter’s preparation and delivery. For example, if I am preparing new material to deliver to a large audience (and want to do this without reading from notes on stage) then I will plan for an hour of preparation for every one minute of delivery time. This may sound extreme but looking effortless takes a lot of effort.

Which options should I consider?

Consider ways to make things as interactive as possible. With smaller groups, they can be made more interactive, with questions being fired both ways during the session. This is harder with audience sizes beyond around thirty, so for larger audiences consider online tools such as apps for questions or quick polls such as Slido.

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Decision-making Meetings

Here the purpose and outcome of the meeting are shaped by a specific decision or set of choices.

Why have this meeting?

Because a choice needs to be made to allow progress.

What does success look like?

A decision is made and recorded.

Where should it take place?

The venue could take various forms, but as with briefings, ensure that potential distractions are reduced to keep people focussed.

Who should be invited?

Invite only the minimum number possible to ensure a decision can be made. The more people, the harder to make a choice but, if you don’t have the right people (i.e., those with the right authority) then the choice won’t be official.

When and how long?

There is no hard and fast rule here, but it is worth setting boundaries as a deadline will help ensure a decision. The deliberation will generally take as long as you give people so don’t leave it open-ended. In my experience, if you have not achieved consensus in an hour then you either have the wrong people present, the wrong information or the wrong motivation in the team.

How should it be run?

This requires careful facilitation. The facilitator may not be the person of authority, and it often helps if they aren’t, as they can remain impartial and focused on the process. Whoever leads needs to ensure that the critical information is shared (as per a brief) and then that everyone has a chance to contribute and comment.

Which options should I consider?

Get people to engage with the pertinent information before the meeting. This will speed up the process of getting to a decision when people gather. If you want to influence a decision, meet up with individuals before the meeting and set the conditions.

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Problem-solving Gatherings

In this case, it is a problem that is the focus of the meeting.

Why have this meeting?

Because there is an issue that needs to be resolved in a timely manner.

What does success look like?

Coming up with a decision, strategy, or plan to address the problem.

Where should it take place?

Pick a space which allows movement, breakouts and access to whiteboards, flipcharts and other aids.

Who should be invited?

Think about gathering the best minds to help solve the issue. This could well be people outside your team. The number is a balance between focus (better with fewer than 10) and diversity of thought (which might require more). My advice is to keep numbers below 20.

When and how long?

This depends upon the problem. Therefore, I generally do an initial meeting for problem analysis, with the expectation there will be a follow-up session to think about actually planning a solution.

How should it be run?

The most important thing is to start with proper problem analysis. If you start trying to sort the problem without identifying the nature of the problem, you are likely to come up with the wrong solution.

Which options should I consider?

Consider using the Grint or Cynefin problem typologies to identify the type of issue.

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Brainstorming Workshops

These meetings are all about generating new ideas or approaches.

Why have this meeting?

Because you want to foster innovation and creativity.

What does success look like?

A list of novel ideas that can be explored further and new mindsets within the team.

Where should it take place?

Find an environment that is inspiring and challenges people’s normal frame of reference (this is generally not in your normal office space). You will want space that allows you to bring everyone together as well as break out space and as many means as possible for capturing ideas (flipcharts, post-its etc)

Who should be invited?

10-20 people is a good number for brainstorming. Ensure that there is cognitive diversity in the group. It is good to have some outsiders (or mavericks) to challenge assumptions and help avoid groupthink.

When and how long?

Creative sessions generally need more time and I often run them over the course of a day. But the day then needs careful planning, so each session is focussed on a specific outcome and people maintain their energy and focus.

How should it be run?

Have a facilitator who is just focused on running the meeting, not on the ideas. Keep individual sessions below 90 minutes and keep gathering people together to cross-fertilise ideas.

Which options should I consider?

If you have never facilitated this type of meeting before you can try the World Café workshop approach.

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Team Building Events

Every team requires proactive effort to build them up, but the approach depends upon where they are in terms of team development.

Why have this meeting?

To help the team progress in terms of cohesion and performance.

What does success look like?

That the team has moved or made significant progress towards, the next stage of their team development.

Where should it take place?

This also depends on the development stage. For example, if they are forming you might want them in the new place where they will work together. If they are storming you might want a neutral space, removed from the normal workspace.

Who should be invited?

It is self-explanatory that you need all the members of the team. The challenge is getting all of the team members there as people often see team-building sessions as of lesser importance.

When and how long?

These sorts of meetings usually need to be planned with plenty of lead time, as they are often longer in length. Most team-building sessions I have been involved with are at least a half-day and often run for several days.

How should it be run?

There is flexibility here but ensure that every section or session has a defined purpose. Whether you are throwing around ideas or throwing axes, make sure everyone knows why. And ensure maximum engagement and contribution from all team members.

Which options should I consider?

Use the Drexler-Sibbet team performance model to identify the most important question that your team needs to answer at that point in time. Use that to focus your agenda.

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Kick-off Meetings

Any new initiative should have a proper kick-off.

Why have this meeting?

Because a new team or project is being initiated.

What does success look like?

That the team understand the new task and their role in achieving it.

Where should it take place?

Try to pick somewhere that helps people envisage or focus on the project.

Who should be invited?

This should be for core team members primarily and, as with team building, the challenge is making sure the whole team is there.

When and how long?

These meetings don’t need to be as long as team-building sessions. For a simple project, this could be less than an hour. For something larger, a half or full day is worth considering so you can combine some team-building elements in too.

How should it be run?

Start with the overall vision. In other words, start with the why, getting their buy-in, before exploring the whoand the how.

Which options should I consider?

Take people on a visit relevant to the task. For example, if you are a construction manager, gather the team on the construction site. If it is a community project, walk the team around the local environment. If it’s a new product, take them to the factory. Help them see the vision.

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Progress Updates

Most teams have these sorts of meetings, but these need to be well-disciplined to be effective.

Why have this meeting?

To report back on progress (for example on a project, for an operation or given budget)

What does success look like?

That the leader or manager understands the situation and any relevant implications (e.g. things relating to time, quality or budget).

Where should it take place?

These meetings are routine and usual office meeting spaces are therefore suitable.

Who should be invited?

Only the people who need to know (primarily the supervisor) and the key contributors. It does not need the whole team and other stakeholders unless this adds specific value.

When and how long?

These meetings should be planned in as part of the operational routine or to reflect key milestones in a project. Keep them as short as possible; the key danger with these meetings is the feeling that people need to say something (just to sound important or busy).

How should it be run?

Share the critical information first, then give the detail as needed. This is often referred to as giving the BLUF (the Bottom-Line Up Front). As with the brief, keep things punchy then leave time for questions and discussion.

Which options should I consider?

Keep the update concise but hold other detail in reserve. For example, if I am presenting slides, I will create a small number of briefing slides (we are talking single figures) but have the extra data on slides at the end of the pack that I can refer to if needed when addressing questions. I will also have people on standby. They don’t have to be in the meeting necessarily but can be called in as needed to answer specific inquiries.

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Planning Meetings

This covers meetings that are future focused (compared to progress which is usually looking back).

Why have this meeting?

When you need a plan! This is obvious but planning meetings provide an opportunity for a leader. You can just direct a team but involving them in planning creates ownership and deeper commitment.

What does success look like?

To have a credible action plan. Something that can be communicated and executed.

Where should it take place?

As with brainstorming meetings, it is good to have a flexible space where you can have breakouts, move around and use whichever aids necessary for effective planning.

Who should be invited?

In the 8-18-1800 rule, planning tends to fall between the 8 (best for decision-making) and the 18 (for brainstorming). My advice is, if you have more than 8 people, divide the planning up and have small groups working on different elements.

When and how long?

This depends on the criticality of the issue (how urgent it is) and the complexity of the task. Commonly, these can be anything from 1 hour to 1 day, therefore do a time appreciation before you start. In other words, the planning meeting needs a good plan to get the result!

How should it be run?

Run the meeting like a project. Have specific tasks and deadlines. As with brainstorming, set regular milestones for sharing progress and ideas.

Which options should I consider?

Consider, has there been a problem-solving meeting beforehand? As noted previously, make sure the issue has been properly analysed before rushing into planning.

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One-to-one Meetings

Although simple in theory, due to being two people, these are just as important to plan as a large gathering.

Why have this meeting?

Person-to-person meetings can include interviews, coaching, mentoring, and performance meetings.

What does success look like?

This depends upon the type of one-to-one meeting, but the important part is to define what success is. Many people forget to define this when just meeting another person.

Where should it take place?

This is also dependent upon the nature of the meeting. For example, if it is a formal meeting such as an interview you may prefer an office meeting room. If it is a less formal mentoring session you might choose to get away from the office. As with other meetings, think about how the environment will help or hinder your stated outcome.

Who should be invited?

Obvious in this case, being just one other person, but consider how you invite them. The level of formality and detail of the invitation will set the expectation for the content of the meeting.

When and how long?

Again, there are no hard and fast rules but, in my experience, a formal meeting – such as challenging someone over discipline – should be short and concise, a matter of minutes. Coaching and development meetings can be more relaxed and longer. I tend to plan 60-90 mins in these cases which allows for some preparation beforehand and noting taking afterwards.

How should it be run?

Have a plan. If it is a formal meeting, pre-prepare what you are going to say (see how to manage difficult conversations) and if you are going to do a coaching style session, adopt an approach (such as the GROW model) to structure the meeting.

Which options should I consider?

If the meeting is less formal, consider going for a walk. There are many benefits to walking meetings and it is my preferred method for coaching, mentoring and other discursive one-to-one interactions.

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The Art and Science of Meetings

There are few hard and fast rules for meetings. It is a mixture of science and art. Even the typology used here, identifying the most common sort of meetings, is just a rule of thumb. You will find plenty of alternative lists and there is little academic work on the classification of meetings.

There are overlaps between types of meetings, and situations vary, therefore it is a matter of judgement as to how you approach them. But I hope that my experience – gained over many years – will be helpful as a guide as you start your planning.

And if you disagree with some of the classification or advice on meetings then that is fine! It just means that you are thinking critically about the sort of gathering you want to have. And that is vital, as the worst get-togethers are not the ones that don’t follow these guidelines, they are the ones that people have not thought about, the sort that people just attend. We all have a responsibility to eradicate these!