Originally published in Trojan Today, October 2009.
The GIFT of GOALS inspires the team, creates hope, directs continuing education, and supports everyone ‘moving’ in the same direction. The GIFT of GOALS provides a framework for decision-making, guiding priorities, and personal growth. People who aren’t growing are decaying. People use hundreds of self-limiting excuses to resist personal action plans, but every team member can move past these limitations by accepting the choice to set goals.
Realistic goals are based on trusted statistics and the team’s shared experience. Establishing goals GIVES the practice timelines and measurable objectives. The team will know when they WIN and when the practice WINS! Setting unrealistic goals is TAKING from the spirit of the team and creates a negative undercurrent. The benefits of emotional growth felt as people develop an ACTION PLAN, apply their skills, and focus on being their personal best should not be underestimated, regardless of your practice model.
Like other success behaviors, setting and achieving GOALS is a process. The person who ‘goes with the flow’ is TAKING from other team members as they resist creating their action plan and becoming active in setting GOALS. Enabling staff to merely perform redundant tasks and ‘do just enough to keep their jobs’ is TAKING time they could be using to GROW themselves, or at least the PRACTICE.
The practice will GAIN SUCCESS when every person is inspired by the action plan they create based on their primary duties. The leader/doctor will GAIN genuine respect by providing the team with reasons why the GOALS are attainable and expressing how each person will WIN as the practice WINS!
Phyllis Waite, Management/Leadership Coach, committed to building successful dental practices.