goal achievement Archives - Excellerate Associates

Aligning Team Goals with Company Goals: A Recipe for Success

February 29, 2024 by Lisa Mininni Leave a Comment

In our 20 years of experience mentoring CEO’s and their teams, we have found that achieving organizational success hinges not only on the brilliance of individual contributors but also on their collective alignment towards a common vision. At the heart of this alignment lies the harmonization of team goals with overarching company goals. This synergy is not merely a desirable outcome but a strategic imperative, driving efficiency, innovation, and sustainable growth.

Let’s delve into the significance of aligning team goals with company goals and explore strategies to achieve this vital cohesion.

The Importance of Alignment

When we engage with CEO’s and their teams in our Excelleration Mentoring Program, they discover that alignment between team and company goals serves as the cornerstone of organizational effectiveness. Here’s why it matters:

1. Shared Purpose
When individual team goals are aligned with broader company objectives, employees gain clarity on how their individual position and efforts contribute to the organization’s mission. This shared purpose fosters a sense of belonging and commitment among team members.

2. Enhanced Performance
Aligned goals create a unified direction, minimizing conflicts and redundancies within teams. With everyone pulling in the same direction, productivity soars, and performance benchmarks are more readily met consistently or exceeded.

3. Agility and Adaptability
In today’s fast-paced business environment, agility is key to staying ahead of the curve. When team goals are aligned with company goals, teams can quickly pivot and realign their efforts in response to market changes or strategic shifts.

4. Cultivating Accountability
Clear alignment fosters a culture of accountability where team members take ownership of their responsibilities in achieving shared objectives. This accountability drives personal responsibility, innovation, and continuous improvement.

Strategies for Alignment

Achieving alignment between team and company goals requires a concerted series of processes and actions at all levels of the organization. Here are some strategies to facilitate this alignment:

1. Transparent Communication
Open and transparent communication is the bedrock of goal alignment. Leaders must clearly articulate company goals and the rationale behind them, ensuring that teams understand how their objectives fit into the bigger picture. As you learn from human wiring, it’s important to articulate the why of organizational change and organizational goals. As a leader, be prepared to articulate why you prioritized the goals you selected.

2. Goal Integration
Break down company goals into smaller, actionable targets that can be cascaded down to individual teams and employees. This ensures that everyone understands their role in achieving broader organizational objectives.

3. Collaborative Goal Setting
In our Excelleration Mentoring Program, we involve team members in the goal-setting process to foster buy-in and commitment. We also encourage teams to set SHMART (Specific, Harmonious, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time Sensitive) goals that align with both their own expertise and the company’s strategic priorities.

4. Regular Feedback and Evaluation
Establish a feedback loop wherein progress towards goals is regularly monitored, and feedback is provided promptly. This allows teams to course-correct as needed and ensures that goals remain aligned with evolving business needs.

5. Incentivize Alignment
Recognize and reward individuals and teams who demonstrate exceptional alignment with company goals. Incentives can be monetary, such as bonuses or performance-based incentives, and/or non-monetary, such as public recognition or opportunities for career advancement.

6. Invest in Training and Development
Provide training and development opportunities that equip employees with the skills and knowledge needed to contribute effectively towards company goals. When employees feel competent and empowered, they are more likely to align their efforts with organizational objectives.

Conclusion

In today’s fiercely competitive business landscape, aligning team goals with company goals isn’t just a nice-to-have; it’s a strategic imperative for success. By fostering a culture of alignment, leaders can harness the collective power of their teams towards achieving shared objectives, driving innovation, and securing long-term viability in an ever-evolving marketplace.

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Would you like to have more freedom to work on your business versus in your business? At our Wake Up Profitable Boot Camp, we show business owners how to scale, develop their goals, align their team and systematize their business.

To get started, register today for the April 22-23, 2024 session before all of the spots are filled. Your experience begins as soon as you register by taking your own human wiring assessment and a private one-on-one Welcome Strategy Call. Register at https://www.excellerateassociates.com/wake-up-profitable-boot-camp so you walk out with your Blueprint to scale.

Leadership: Managing Multiple Commitments

January 26, 2023 by Lisa Mininni Leave a Comment

Meeting your multiple commitments with ease, can seem impossible. Ask anyone how they are doing. What is the typical answer?

I’m so busy.

We all have full lives that can, at times, collide:

⋙ Managing your business (or several of them) or career
⋙ Attending family events
⋙ Focusing on self-care activities, like exercise

So, how do you powerfully satisfy multiple commitments with ease?

Systems thinking. Systems thinking is a holistic approach that focuses on the way parts interrelate within the context of larger systems. When using systems thinking, you consider how each area of life interrelates.

One of my clients couldn’t get traction on both her business goals and personal goals. From a human wiring standpoint, she was wired to perform functions in sequence. She would work on one thing, get it done, and move on to the next.

She saw each commitment as a separate from the other. Behaviorally, she also put her business goals ahead of her personal goals.
Using systems thinking, we explored options by looking at how seemingly separate commitments could be integrated. How could she get her self-care routine accomplished, be on time for that morning appointment, and forward what she was up to in her business.

There were a number of options we discussed, such as:

1. Write down goals in all areas of life.

As she wrote down her goals in all areas of her life, she also realized where she was being unclear about the outcome she desired. According to research, you are 42 percent more likely to achieve your goals if you write them down. Writing down goals also compels you to choose metrics so that you celebrate when you reach it. With this clarity, you can filter the most important activities and enroll others to support your goals (and release others that don’t).

2. Ask for assistance.

My client was naturally wired to want to figure out things for herself and be sequential about each task. Becoming aware of her natural default behavior, she learned to ask herself, “who else could perform this task?” That simple question prompted her brain to explore options and ask for assistance rather than take on everything herself.

3. Use Visual Cues.

Visual cues, like posting your goals or, in my client’s case, bringing her walking shoes to work gave her the visual reminder to put her self-care first. There are other ways to integrate exercise, like parking in the furthest spot from the door, use a stand-up desk, or take short breaks doing simple squats at your desk.

4. Delegate.

My client was of the mindset that it was just quicker to get a task done if she did it herself. However, in the long run, the tasks absorbed time better spent on forwarding another goal. She learned that when she didn’t give her team or her children opportunities to step up, she wasn’t allowing herself or others to grow.

Systems thinking expands the range of options to accomplish goals. Can you see how integrating small steps can have you take giant leaps over time and in multiple areas?

When you have multiple commitments, you may first want to ask if you’re really committed or just interested in that goal. When you are merely interested, you will do what’s convenient. When you’re committed, you’ll do whatever it takes.

Take a minute to ask yourself:

➥ Where in your business or life could you integrate commitments getting two things accomplished at one time?
➥ Where could you ask for assistance or delegate?
➥ Where could you take an easy task that would forward your goal?

Then, take action consistent with your commitment not the circumstance.

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If inspired to learn more about how to powerfully manage all areas of your life, join us for the Introduction to Scaling & Systematizing Your Business. Join us online or onsite.

What I Learned From a Goal I Did Not Achieve

December 17, 2015 by Lisa Mininni 1 Comment

people in line at start At the beginning of each year, along with my Success Institute clients, we set both professional and personal goals and put it in our respective Business Blueprints. This year was no different.

When I set one particular personal goal early this year, I realized it may be a stretch for me. I took it on anyway. It was my big hairy audacious goal.
While I met my other goals, I didn’t meet this one particular goal. It was a personal goal that is important to me. Yet, it’s a goal that I set year after year only making incremental progress.

What’s the outcome I wanted?

I wanted to lose 50 pounds. I set a plan in motion and didn’t follow it.

Period.

Here’s the best thing about going after this goal this year. I’m unattached.

Not detached.

Unattached.

I didn’t feel bad for not meeting it. I simply distinguished what it means to be in the realm of performance.
When in performance, either you meet the measures or you don’t. Yet, it’s easy to attach a judgement and get down on ourselves, make excuses, or cast blame when measure aren’t met.

On the surface, some of these excuses could be legitimate, like my treadmill broke and I didn’t get a new one for over 60 days. That’s certainly a reason maybe even a legitimate one.

The bottom line is that I didn’t meet my measure.

Plain and simple.

Nothing more, nothing less.

So I can show up explaining my reasons or acknowledge that I didn’t achieve the goal and move ahead. Olympic athletes don’t stay in the world of reasons for long if they want to achieve their performance goals. They wipe off the dirt when they fall, re-focus, and try a different approach.

You may have experienced the same thing. Maybe you don’t set a goal because you know you’ll get down on yourself for not achieving it. Maybe you think having goals is too restrictive. Maybe you believe that you’ll get overwhelmed if you set goals.

What if you just set the goal and are in action to achieve it…
…without upset if you don’t achieve it
…without getting down on yourself
…without making excuses
…without fear

What if you set your big harry audacious goals…
…with peace and ease
…with complete accountability
…with power, creativity, and ingenuity

Imagine what would be possible for you.

I’m game to try again.

Are you?

Getting Your Goals on Track and Why It Matters

September 24, 2015 by Lisa Mininni Leave a Comment

Have you ever thought to yourself, gee, I wish I could…

…spend less time working and more time on the important activities and people in life?

…make money (or more money) doing what I love?

…get back into shape?

If the answer is yes, you’re not alone.

When I first start working with my clients, we list all of the goals they want to achieve, but haven’t pursued. In almost every case, there is at least one goal they have always dreamed of, but didn’t achieve.

What I noticed is that they didn’t make that idea a reality by writing it down. If they do have it written down, there’s no existence system to bring that idea a reality. An existence system is a road map on how to make your vision a reality.

In my Profitability Lab, one of the first steps we take is completing a Business Blueprint. Profitability Lab Members develop both their professional and personal goals.

Why?

If you only focus on your business goals, then they get all the focus. One day you’ll wake up overworked and wonder why you don’t have the very things in your life that create the most fulfillment. If you have a dream to write a book, get fit, retire at 55, or create more memorable moments with your children, then create a goal around it.

What’s also important is that you also create an existence system that functions much like a GPS, guiding you through each step. Take the first step by writing down 3-5 goals that you want to achieve but haven’t pursued. Remember to include all of those personal goals, too!

Why It Matters

In my 20+ years working with business professionals, I’ve come to realize every person has a contribution make in the world. You have a product, service, or an idea that can change lives. There are people up at night just hoping for your solution. Each day you don’t make your idea a reality is a day they don’t have that solution in their lives.

The idea came to you for a reason. You matter.

To learn more about how to consistently achieve your goals, download your complimentary copy of Get More Clients Now! 3 Steps to More Clients, More Money, and A Business You Love at http://www.ExcellerateAssociates.com.

3 Strategies to Achieve That Big Plan for Your Small Business

September 3, 2015 by Lisa Mininni Leave a Comment

Imagine one day you wake up, jump out of bed, and are excited about starting your day. You head toward the kitchen to pour yourself a cup of coffee and sit down to the table. As you stare into the distance while taking your first sip of java, your excitement turns into anxiousness as you think through all of the things you need to get done that day. An overwhelming realization that you can’t possibly get it all done starts to envelop you.

As you work in your business, you receive an unexpected avalanche of new business and become easily overwhelmed, primarily because you lack systems and resources. If you’re doing everything yourself, it occurs, at some point, that you need assistance and must delegate or outsource to keep up with the rising demand of new business.

The reality is that your business can only grow to the maximum amount of work you can personally handle. Conquer the overwhelm by using these simple steps:

Make your possibility become a reality through planning. When planning, identify metrics to include your ideal revenue and number of clients. Determine the client or revenue thresholds which will serve as indicators to let you know when to hire additional resources. As you get close to those thresholds, you will easily spot when it’s time to add additional support.
Systematize specific functions. Typically, businesses are categorized into marketing, production/operations and administration. Remember to systematize each area by designing specific processes that work even when you’re not there. You may be able to streamline your functional areas with automated systems and save the staff for other areas that require human intervention and interaction.
Always Be Recruiting. Most business owners make the mistake of starting the hiring process when they are in need of someone. The problem with that tactic is that it puts you at a disadvantage in multiple ways, including lack of bargaining power and pressure to make a snap decision.

When recruiting, consider staffing alternatives first. Getting the job done does not necessarily mean hiring regular full-time employees. Independent contractors, virtual assistants, temporary agencies, interns and automation can give you the flexibility and cost-effectiveness you need to manage your growth.

Several things happen when you’re consistently keeping an eye out for talent:

Improve your bargaining position. You’re in a better bargaining position because you’re not pressured to hire right away giving you a leveraged opportunity to make the best hire.
Keep your budget balanced. Rather than hiring a full-time employee from the beginning, you may utilize a vendor for just a couple of hours a week which would help you make your growth plan a reality and keep your budget balanced.
Grow your network. Another advantage for consistently keeping an eye out for talent is that you expand your network. While you may not be ready for someone who has extensive experience today, keep them in your network. When you’re ready, tap them on the shoulder to join your team.

By following these simple strategies, you will grow your business with less effort and achieve that big plan for your small business.

>>>Have you registered for our next Profitability Lab: Introduction yet?

Register today at: http://www.profitabilitylab.com

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The Importance of Alignment

Strategies for Alignment

Conclusion

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1. Write down goals in all areas of life.

2. Ask for assistance.

3. Use Visual Cues.

4. Delegate.

Take a minute to ask yourself:

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