4 Reasons Why SMART Goals and Horizon Goals are the Key to Better Results

In today’s world, it takes a lot to become a winning team when the goalposts are constantly being moved. Setting goals is a massive part of business success for most companies but, just like everything else, goals are changing. In this article, we’re looking at four reasons why SMART goals and Horizon goals are the key to better results for your organisation.

Get Smart, But See the Horizon

Setting realistic goals for tangible results can be tricky and so many businesses trudge along with the same targets year in and year out in the hope that it’ll be enough. It won’t. The problem here is that goals are closely tethered to staff morale and setting the bar too high can result in disillusionment - while setting it too low leads to apathy. For this reason, what we’re outlining here might be the answer you’re looking for if your team has started heading towards relegation.

What are SMART goals ?

We use this term to describe goals and targets that are super specific, have a definite timeline and, most importantly, are achievable. The idea here is that every member of a project is given clear and concise objectives on a fixed clock in order to put the ball into the back of the net for short-term projects.

How does it work?

An example of this might be a team leader who wants to overhaul the company’s cybersecurity within a month. This fearless leader can assign tasks to a number of employees with laser-focused instructions and deadlines which creates a roadmap to the final destination. Building this kind of framework is an almost bulletproof way of achieving big results in a small amount of time.

The Pros and Cons of SMART goals

SMART goals are an intelligent solution for some but they’re not a one-size-fits all deal and so, in this section, we’ll zero in on some of the Pros and Cons:

The Pros

• Focus - Setting out clear priorities and instructions is a great way of keeping your eyes on the prize as well as giving employees the satisfaction of a short-term win.

Clarity - They are a sprint rather than a marathon and cutting a complex project into bite sized chunks is proven to help reduce a sense of overwhelm amongst employees.

• Teamwork - Just like a good Premier League team, when every member knows their job you’re going to see more efficient and effective teamwork.

The Cons

• The Tick block - If not managed properly, there can be a danger of team members racing through tasks in order to get that dopamine fix of ticking off another box. Needless to say, this can lead to errors and sloppy work in general.
• Lack of creativity - In some cases you may risk your employees turning into automatons where they’re so focused on achieving goals that all sense of initiative goes out the window.

Generally speaking, SMART goals are best used for immediate, maybe even short-term, activities where a sprint to the finish line will net proper, measurable results.

What are Horizon goals ?

These bad boys are all about inspiring change through looking at the big picture and setting longer term objectives. Unlike SMART goals, these have a vision firmly fixed in the future and usually have a pretty darn ambitious objective such as significant growth for the business.  While these goals still have objectives and structure, they’re less rigid and therefore promote initiative and innovation.

The Pros and Cons of Horizon goals

The Pros

• Taking the initiative - Because these goals tend not to be easy ones, they’re a great way of encouraging staff to think inside, outside and underneath the box to come up with solutions. While SMART goals can tend to eliminate creativity, Horizon goals bring it back - and then some.
• Promoting ownership - When employees are embroiled in a long-term project, they will almost always feel more invested in the business and its future success.
• Cracking collaboration - Like SMART goals, Horizon goals are great for teamwork as they encourage people to support one another as they work towards the desired result.

The Cons

• The freeze - If a project plan is a little too ambitious, your team may go all rabbit in the headlights at the scope of it which can lead to less rather than more productivity.
• Taking risks - When employees are expected to achieve big results, they might sometimes take more risks which can not only damage the project but the business as a whole.

4 reasons why SMART goals and Horizon goals are the key to better results

So, now that we’ve taken a closer look at them, are you still wondering why you should use them? Well, here are four good reasons:

1. Clarity and consistency
   SMART goals are a brilliant way of adding clarity and consistency to a project through clearly defined tasks and objectives. When employees can see a clear start, middle and finish to a task, they are much more likely to achieve results.

2. People power
   Both SMART goals and Horizon goals have the power to pull people together to promote collaboration and teamwork. Just like a winning football team, each member knows their job - and how to support others - in order to achieve their common aims.

3. Innovation and creativity
   Horizon goals are a fantastic way of getting a team’s creative juices flowing while still adhering to a clear map of what needs to be achieved. This is all about creative problem-solving and can often lead to some pretty amazing innovation.

4. Reimagining resources
   When building goals in this way, you automatically start thinking about which people you need and what they will need to complete their mission. This means that you get a better handle on the use of resources and thereby save hard cash as well as time.  Which is always a bonus…

Owning Your Goals

These days, the business world moves at the speed of light and the way we work needs to be able to keep up. It’s no longer enough to roll out the same set of goals every year and hope for the best. By getting smart and keeping your eye on the horizon, you can keep your business growing and thriving – and sometimes in unexpected ways!