If you want to have successful outcomes on your next project—whether that’s a campus initiative or your own career aspirations—you need a robust understanding of your goal. Here are five questions to ask yourself to take goals from flat and uninspiring to clear and engaged:
1. What do you want to achieve? Be specific and nuanced. “Bolster student enrollment” is vague. “Increase student enrollment across programs by an average of 3% in one academic year” is clear and defined.
2. What are the steps to get there? Map out your intermediate goals, key players, and tools that you will need to reach your goal. Identify your team and method.
3. How should you achieve it? Once you understand your destination and methodology, delve a little deeper into the characterization of your goal. What are the attitudes, values, and mission that guide your approach? It is essential that you consistently articulate this to your team.
4. What are the warning signs that you’re off track? Projects always have challenges, setbacks, and conflict. Anticipate some of the obstacles you’ll face and think about how to address them.
5. How will you build on your success? Achieving your goals energizes and informs your next steps. While you won’t see all the implications until your project is completed, sketch out how it fits into the overall landscape of your institution and career.
