In life and in business, objectives (goals) are needed to ensure we move forward and grow. If there is nothing to work towards, then life is pretty pointless.

Objectives in business are linked to what we want the business to achieve in a certain period of time and it’s something that all the employees should also buy into and work towards.

Objectives focus all effort towards a specific result and most importantly, they can be measured.

There are a few things that when set in place and actioned upon, which will allow you to crush the objectives set for the business. Listed below are five principles when applied to the business objectives, will deliver the optimum results.

1.     Keep the number of objectives small

Most people today have very short attention spans and cannot seem to focus on too many things at once. Don’t become a victim of this mistake. Keep your objectives for the business between 5-7 items at any given time. Our advice is to focus on a handful of objectives that you can easily repeat from memory, even if woken in the middle of the night.

2.     Write your objectives down

Writing down your objectives brings them into reality and confirms your intention to make them happen. Additionally, writing them down also allows you to remember them far better than if they were just spoken. Please note, that when we say write them down, we mean actually writing them down – not typing them into a Word document and then printing them out. The action of physically writing it creates a link in a person’s brain ensuring that you retain what you have written.

3.     Make objectives real by reviewing them frequently

Reviewing your objectives regularly further cements them in reality. Every time you review them, you can let them inspire you further and allow them to become an integral part of your daily actions. Sometimes they are no longer serving the business and need to be tweaked to align them better with the changes in the business.

4.     Share objectives on a “need to know” basis only

We are sure that many people have heard that objectives should be shared with everybody, as then they will get done/be achieved. Somehow it has been shown that the opposite is actually true and that most times, this does not happen.

Our advice is that you only share them with people that have a vested interested in seeing that they are achieved, or with individuals that are committed to helping you achieve them.

5.     “Smart” objectives provide focus

You need to create “smart” objectives. “smart” is the acronym for Specific, Measurable, Actionable, Realistic and Time-Bound. Ensure that your objectives meet each of these criteria in full.

Specific

Be as clear as possible and identify exactly what needs to be accomplished.

Measurable

As far as possible, quantify the end result. The old adage of ” you cannot manage what you cannot measure” springs to mind in this case.

Actionable

Action is about doing something so every objective should start with an action (a doing word) e.g. run, sell, grow etc.

Realistic

Use your common sense but also allow room to stretch. Step outside of your comfort zone but think bigger at the same time.

Time-Bound

Set a timeline/deadline for the objective. Give it an actual date for when it needs to be achieved.

Most people tend to shy away from setting objectives, either for their lives or their business, but they are amongst some of the most powerful tools we have at our disposal to learn and grow, so get cracking and set them today!