Everybody has their own Mount Everest they were put on this earth to climb. Seth Godin
Setting goals and accountability are an important part of the coaching process, whether you”re working with people on monthly, 90-day or annual goals. This article will help you coach leaders and teams when setting goals—especially remote workers. It also provides some interesting areas for all coaches to consider for motivational goal-setting.
Goals easily become unmotivating when we create too many, or if we create goals that are not achievable. But they’re also unmotivating if they’re not tapped into our key motivators—the things that excite us!
That’s why, in my writing, I like to talk about goals that are not only SMART, but SMART-E:
How do we ensure a goal is exciting? Well, let’s take a look at the CLAIMS model that explores 5 key elements of motivation. Please note that these elements are especially important for remote working.
This framework invites clients to consider five key elements that motivate us: Community, Autonomy, Impact, Money and Status.
Some motivational models call this belonging or affiliation. Many professionals want to be part of a bigger whole. This is particularly important when we work remotely.
Ongoing learning is critical for success in the remote workspace, particularly as teams today are fluid and ever changing.
Autonomy means having the independence to do our work in a way, time and structure set by us. And remote work is not short on autonomy.
When remote working, we rely on high trust and giving people the choice and flexibility to get things done. It also relies on clear communication, systems, practices, goals, roles and other elements that are key for high performance. In particular, when clarity exists, remote workers can focus in on what’s important.
As remote workers, our impact is often measured through our output (the results we get). Don’t forget that it can also be measured through the influence we have over others and how we build a sense of community and team.
For some people, money and other benefits may be a significant driver.
Think about how status is a motivator for you. Then answer these questions.
Whether it’s creating a goal or vision board that sits in the office or creating a one page plan, simply keeping goals visible can be an important part of the motivation to succeed.
But goal setting can also benefit from a deeper exploration of the motivational levers of our clients. It’s essential that goals are exciting!
So what conversations are important to have?
For more on the topic of goals, check out the Remote Pathways Podcast Episode 3.
Image of Client at desk working remotely setting goals by Syda Productions via Shutterstock
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