Goal Execution: 2 Pitfalls to Avoid

Why don't companies take the necessary actions to achieve their goals?

A goal is a desired outcome, a wish with a deadline.  

From New Year’s resolutions to our daily to-do lists, we seem to be good at setting objectives. But then, along the way, we don’t follow our action plan to realize the goal.  

So, what happens? Why don’t we take the necessary actions to achieve our goals? 

It all boils down to two root causes: 

1. You set a goal but don’t get started on it (you need help with action initiation): 

   • You simply forget to take the necessary action, or you don’t know where to start 

   • Failure to seize opportune moments – always waiting for the right conditions 

   • You don’t believe that it can happen, so you give up on it before you give it a chance 

   • The goal is just not important enough – you know it but you don’t want to admit it 

2. You start working toward the goal and then something happens that stops you from completing key tasks: 

   • This could be the result of individuals encountering several challenging obstacles, which saps their energy and makes it difficult to move forward 

   • Another possibility is the all-too-common “flavour of the month” syndrome. You watch a video or listen to a podcast, and you set a goal, but follow-up actions require discipline and alignment with core values and long-term plans 

   • Falling prey to bad habits (path of least resistance) and succumbing to a negative mindset (difficult tasks causing discouragement or an overwhelming schedule) are other common obstacles 

The struggles that we face on an individual basis are strikingly similar to those we see in companies and corporations.  

Shouldn’t we start training and coaching our teams on how to set and achieve their goals, so they can help us achieve the company’s goals? 

If employees learn to set and achieve their personal goals, maybe this know-how will be reflected at the corporate level.