1st Degree Goal Setting By Gregg Cochlan The interesting thing about having a goal is that it actually creates energy, it creates awareness, it creates creativity. Purposeful Goal Achievement I loved when I first heard Lou Tice, founder of The Pacific Institute, declare that he wanted to be charged with first degree goal setting. We were having a conversation about goals and goal setting, and Lou explained that many people approached goal setting accidently. Lou called it second degree goal setting. The difference between first degree and second degree is intent. And intent is fundamental to goal achievement.
ABOUT THE PACIFIC INSTITUTE For over 40 years, The Pacific Institute has been successfully helping individuals unlock their potential and improve their performance, and enabling organizations to transform their culture and improve business results. 1 st Degree Goal Setting The idea of first degree goal setting really struck me. It forced me to reflect on my own goal setting, which at the time was second degree, at best. This sent me on a journey of discovery, guided by the teachings of The Pacific Institute on the principles and concepts that provide for great purposeful goal achievement. Fortunately for me, my consultancy work with The Pacific Institute allows me to learn with and through my clients. In more than 20 years of coaching on performance, I have learned that effective goal setting is a big part of performance. Out of Order Goal Come First 1st Degree Goal Setting Dominant Picture Words Pictures Emotions Anchored in Cognitive Psychology There are many approaches to goal achievement, but for simplicity s sake this article focuses on four key principles and two models. Together, these contribute to effective goal achievement, whether personal, team or organizational. Let s begin with the four principles. The principles are anchored in cognitive psychology. Cognitive psychology indicates that performance and behavior are not only affected by your environment but also by your ability to exercise independent thought outside of your environment. Page 2
4 Key Principles 1. Human beings are always in search of order. 2. You move towards your most dominant picture. 3. Human beings think in 3 dimensions: words, pictures, emotions. 4. The goal comes first and then you see. 1. Human beings are always in search of order. You might be thinking, Hmmm, this is an interesting principle, but what does order have to do with my goals? Let me explain by borrowing from gestalt psychology. Gestalt psychology suggests that human beings are always in search of order when things are out of order, we want to put them back into order. For example, you get a haircut and the stylist parts your hair on the left side when you always part it on the right. This will probably bug you, and it is likely you will re-part your hair back to the right as soon as you can. You just can t stand it until you put it back the way it s supposed to be. It bugs you. This is bugging you is important, because it creates the drive to fix it. The more something bugs you, the more you are motivated to fix it. The way it is supposed to be is also critical, because this regulates you to your existing order, meaning what s normal for you or, as we will see, your goals. Here s another example of how gestalt psychology can help you. Suppose you want to maintain your current weight. Once your mind is set on what your weight is supposed to be, if you step on a scale and see a pound or two more, you may not feel too bad. But if you see 10 to 15 pounds more, it will bug you. It will throw you out of order, which will cause an action in you, whether to work out or to watch your diet. The principle that human beings are always in search of order is a fundamental key to effective goal setting and goal achievement. Why? Because there is no real growth without putting yourself out of order. You actually want to be purposefully throwing your system out of order in your goal setting; we call this out of order setting. Goal setting is getting good at throwing your system out of order. The out of order setting should create a bugging you response. The challenge and this is key is that when something is bugging you the tendency is to put it back the way it is supposed to be. This supposed to be is where first-degree goal setting works. Throwing your system out of order on purpose is how you achieve higher goals. Purposefully creating a new supposed to be triggers your gestalt to create the energy, drive and creativity to move toward the new supposed to be. Page 3
So you want to throw your system out of order. Let s explore how to create a new supposed to be. 2. You move towards your most dominant picture. A complementary principle to human beings are always in search of order is that we move towards our most dominate picture. This is why, when a race car driver loses control, they are taught not to focus on the wall but to focus on the recovery point. Or why golfers want to visualize the ball landing on the green not the water in front. Think wall get wall, think water get water. At The Pacific Institute, we would coach you on visualizing what you want, not what you don t want focus on the green not the water. Using the first principle of throwing your system out of order, you want to create a new dominant picture, or a new way it s supposed to be. This is what most of us might think is goal setting. The new supposed to be is a new weight, a new golf score, a new sales target. This is where Lou Tice wants you to be premeditated. Purposefully create a picture of your new goal, a dominant picture of your new supposed to be. This leads to the next question: how do you create a new dominant picture? 3. Human beings think in three dimensions words, pictures & emotions. Another interesting principle from the world of cognitive science is that we think in three dimensions words, pictures and emotions. Once it was understood that human beings think in 3D, the importance of visualization accelerated. In premeditating goal setting, we link this with you move toward your most dominant picture. This means using all three dimensions to create a dominant picture. You start with words. My golf goal is to shoot 71. You create a strong visual image of what that goal looks like. I am hitting it right down the middle on every drive. You add emotion. I am calm and present on every shot. Whether in sport or business, it is clear that you want to create goals that not only throw your system out of order, but also create a new, three dimensional dominant picture. If you can t see it, you can t be it. You have a three dimensional picture in your mind, now what? 4. The goal comes first and then you see. Remember when you were a little kid or when as a parent you were trying to kill the boredom of a long trip for your kids? The go-to game was, I Spy; I spy with my little eye something that is blue. You may not have known at the time but this is a critical part of goal achievement. The principle that the goal comes first and then you see is anchored in both cognitive psychology and neuroscience. There is a functioning part of your brain called the Reticular Activating System (RAS), whose function is to open up to information that is either of value to you or a threat to you. Have you ever bought a new car thinking it was quite unique, but then you see it everywhere? Or you are thinking of buying a new iphone and all of the sudden you see advertisements for iphones on sale? Or in the game of I Spy you see all the things around you that are blue? This is your RAS, and it is there to find things for you. When you properly set a goal through your RAS, energy, awareness and creativity all increase. What your RAS finds depends on your goal. Once you set a goal, even better, if it is in three-dimensions, then you find resources or time or people that can help you achieve your goal. Once you realize you have a RAS, you realize you don t need to know how to achieve a goal as much as you need to know what that goal is. The interesting thing about having a goal is that it actually creates energy, it creates awareness, it creates creativity. So, set the goal and then you will see. Your RAS & goal setting. Here s a 4-minute video on how it works: https://vimeo.com/81651261 Page 4
Let s do a quick review. To increase your goal achievement, it is critical to be premeditated. Know that good goal setting should make you feel uncomfortable; it should throw you out of order a bit. You want to visualize what you want, not what you don t want. You want to create a dominant, 3D picture of the goal, not just with words, but with pictures and emotions. Simply setting your goals using these principles will open up your RAS to see a way to achieve the goals. Isn t that cool? Two Models of Goal Achievement The intent of the four principles described above is to increase your effectiveness at goal achievement. The following two models provide a framework, whether you are a leader or a manager, to increase your team s or organization s success in purposeful goal setting and goal achievement. Applying either model will aid in successful goal execution, leading to higher performance outcomes. 1: Define the What, Why, How & Who 2: Focus, Scorecard & Accountability Model 1: Define the what, why, how and who. Lou Tice, co-founder of The Pacific Institute, was an educator and a coach who had a wonderful ability to take complex concepts and make them simple. In that spirit, I offer the following what, why, how and who of goal setting. It is not necessarily unique, but it is simple and practical. Even more importantly, it works. Whether you are a CEO, a frontline manager, a coach or even a parent, there are four criteria in goal execution. Clear What Why How Who A Clear What Compelling Your team needs to see what you see. Many leaders make the assumption that their goal is clear, that people can see what they see. Remember, the goal comes first then you see, and human beings think in three dimensions words, pictures, emotions. You need a clear what. What do we want to achieve? What are is our goal, mission, vision or task? Your goal statements need to create a dominant picture not only for you, but for your team. If you all can see it, you all can achieve it. A Compelling Why The second element is that a goal (the what) needs to have a compelling why. Why should we do this? Why is this important? In some cases, your why may compete with the why of individuals on your team: I know this is important to you, but it will take a lot of my time. You need to ensure that you establish clarity and alignment not only on the what, but on the why as well. A Measureable How Measurable Accountable Once your people are clear on the what and have bought in on the why. It is imperative that they know whether they are making progress toward the goal Page 5
this is the how. I remember reading, years ago, an example about the importance of measuring success. If you went bowling and there was a curtain hanging in front of your lane, so that you could only hear how you were doing, but not see how many pins you were knocking down, how long would you play? How good could you get? People need feedback the faster the better, the clearer the better, the more accurate the better. A measurable how gives your team a clear understanding of the measure of success in achieving a goal and provides feedback on progress. An Accountable Who Accountability is likely the most common fail point in goal setting. Holding yourself accountable is uncomforatbale. Holding others accountable is even more uncomfortable, particulairy if they are not doing well. The easy thing is to creatively avoid accountability. when you take a shot in golf, success not only depends on the back swing but also on the follow through; in fact, the follow throughmay be even more important. Accountability is like follow through; it increases your successful outcomes. A high percentage of leaders and coaches are shaky on accountability. Goal achievement becomes even more problematic if the goal isn t clear or isn t compelling or isn t measurable. Without that foundation, how do you hold yourself or others accountable? IN or NOT IN A Checklist WHAT WHY HOW WHO I am IN I clearly understand the goal I have a compelling reason to support the goal or direction set. I understand the key measurements of success. I am fully accountable. I am co-accountable & co-responsible. It s up to me and we. I am NOT IN I don t understand the goal I don t have a compelling reason to support the goal or direction set. Or, I have a competing why. I do not understand the key measurements of success. I am not accountable. I do not feel co-accountable or co-responsible. It s up to them. Success is increased when all four criteria a clear what, a compelling why, a measurable how and an accountable who are in place and working together. Use the following checklist to determine whether you (and the individual members of your team) are in on a specific goal or not in. Page 6
Model 2: Focus, Scorecard & Accountability. The foundation of the second model is goals that are focused, have a scorecard, have clear accountabilities and have a regular cadence. This increases the likelihood of successful goal execution. Focus Scorecard Accountability Goal Focus Goal focus is pretty straightforward; the more focused you are on a goal, the higher the probablity of success. The more goals, the more dispersed the focus, the lower your probability of success. It is like juggling. Juggling one ball is easy; you are unlikely to drop one ball. Juggling two balls is tougher, and there is a higher probability that you will drop one if not both balls. Three is even harder, and if you drop one ball, all three will likely fall. The more balls, the harder it is to juggle, the more likely all will fall. The same holds true for goals. You might be thinking, Hey, that s all well and good, but we have several goals we need to focus on. I am not saying you should only have one goal. What I am saying is that each goal should be focused, with a balance and stated priority. Each goal must include a timeline with a start date and an end date. It should also have a stated priority. If you have more than four goals, using timelines and a process to prioritize goals is critical. Scorecard There s an old saying, what gets measured gets done. What gets measured and written down is even better. Keeping score holds people to their accountabilities. Goals that are clearly defined include a measurement for tracking success or progress. How do you tell if you are achieving your goals? Remember the out of order setting we discussed earlier? Purposefully creating a new goal a new supposed to be triggers your gestalt to create the energy, drive and creativity to move toward it. When you have a way of measuring the new supposed to be (goal), and your measurement indicates you are not on track, the out of order setting triggers the bugging you setting, which creates the drive to fix it. The recent introduction of the Fitbit is a great example of how a scorecard can help achieve goals. My wife s goal is 10,000 steps a day, and she is dedicated to reaching that goal. She is aided by the fact her Fitbit is a scorecard on her arm that gives her immediate feedback. Having the scorecard regularly post her progress towards her goal lets her know if she is on track or off track. This creates the motivation to achieve her goal. 4 x 4 Rule 4 Subgoals 4 Subgoals In more than 20 years of practice, I have found that having 3 or 4 goals is ideal; this is the number at which you will be most successful. Remember, there will be sub-goals to support the main goals. Using a 4 x 4 rule will serve you well no more than four goals, with no more than four sub-goals each. As you achieve the goals, you can add either a new goal or new sub-goals. 4 Subgoals Goal 1 Goal 2 Goal 4 Goal 3 4 Subgoals Page 7
Lag & Lead An important clarification on scorecards: you need to know both the lag score and the lead activities. Often, people or teams do a good job of goal setting, or setting the lag measurement. Again using my wife s example, the 10,000 steps is the lag measurement (or goal), but each step she takes is a lead activity that helps her achieve the 10,000 step goal. organizational performance. It drives out excuses like as it s not my job, and it drives in personal and organizational co-ownership. In personal goals, you want to take full ownership and not give yourself an escape hatch. On team goals, you want to have the mindset that if it is to be, it up to me and we. You want to develop a co-accountable, co-responsive mindset that we are all in this together. Lead Plans Completed Goals & Strategies Set Number of Prospects Number of Customers Contacted Activities in Projects Presentations Lag Revenue Sales Project Outcomes Events Whether it is 10,000 steps a day, shooting an 85 in golf, reaching $50,000 in sales a month these are all lag measurements, or goals. Now you need to identify measurable activities that will lead to your achieving the lag goal. Trying to affect your golf score as you re adding up the scorecard is too late. Trying to affect your team s sales at the end of the month is too late. It is the lead activities which drive the lag results. Your goals need be supported with sub-goals, or lead activities, to drive the lag goal. Cadence the Foundation of Goal Achievement Cadence means giving a regular rhythm to your goals that holds you and others accountable, whether each day, each week or each month. There is a cadence to setting, measuring, owning, checking in and resetting or correcting goals. It includes holding people I, you, we accountable for lag goals and more importantly lead activities. It s been my experience that the better the cadence or rhythm of your goal setting, the better the goal achievement. There can be, and usually is, good intention in goal setting, but without an accountable cadence, goal achievement will fall off. Goal achievement also falls off if you and your team fall out of cadence (see the process below). The model below illustrates a simple cycle that will support your personal and team goals. Correct Set Measure If I want to reduce my golf score and I average 35 putts per round, I might set my lag goal at 30 putts. But my lead activities might also include taking lessons or purposefully practicing my putting three times a week. Accountability A principle we teach at The Pacific Institute is, If it is to be, it is up to me. When taken seriously, this principle of accountability can drive personal, team or Check In Own Page 8
Recap We have talked about four cognitive principles you can use to enrich your goal setting: Human beings are always in search of order. You move towards your most dominant picture. Human beings think in three dimensions: words, pictures and emotions. The goal comes first and then you see. The two models will help you with the process of goal setting, including: Being clear on your what, why, how and who Ensuring your goals are focused, with a scorecard and clear accountabilities Building on a solid foundation by ensuring your goals are supported by regular rhythm or cadence that holds people accountable for setting, measuring, owning, checking in and resetting or correcting lag goals and lead activities. At the Pacific Institute we are dedicated to transforming your individual and team potential in to performance. I hope you find these tips helpful. Better yet, I hope they lead to you being charged with first degree goal setting. About the Author Gregg Cochlan is President and CEO of The Pacific Institute Canada. An author, speaker, organizationtransformation specialist and leadership coach, Gregg has taken organizations and teams forward with a 21 st century mindset, resulting in significant performance improvement. Contact him at cochlan@tpican.ca or 306-652-2432. Page 9