CHARLESTON AIR FORCE BASE, S.C. –
The most common aspect of any successful organization or person is a shared vision or goal.
Top business leaders and professional athletes alike use short- and long-term goals to motivate themselves. This mindset can be seen Air Force wide from our Air and Space Doctrine, to the goals of our squadron commanders.
The importance of goal setting is it provides us with direction and purpose. Likewise, personal goal setting provides us with motivation and helps us concentrate our efforts to meet these goals.
The difference between where we are, our current status, and where we want to be, our visions and goals, is what we do, which are our target objectives and action plans.
Personal goals are set on many different levels. First people look to the future and decide where they want to be in their life. This can be further broken down into categories such as career, education, family, physical and financial. People need to remember to be true to themselves and set these goals based on what they want to achieve, not what their parents or family want for them.
For oneself, it is important to set goals that you can achieve. One way to do this is by using the SMART mnemonic:
Specific: What exactly do you want to accomplish?
Measurable: Can you evaluate your progress?
Attainable: Can you reach your goal or is it unrealistic?
Relevant: Is it important in the grand scheme of things?
Time-bound: What is the deadline for completion?
So what is next?
You have built some long- and short-term goals, and have achieved some success in accomplishing them. You have cleaned up your credit and bought a house, started a family and received a perfect score on your physical fitness test. Your personal goals are going well, but what about those of your subordinates?
As leaders we need to take interest in our Airmen's goals. Goals can be a motivational factor. If you know what motivates your Airmen, you can better direct their energy and align them with your organizational, group and Air Force goals.
You know that one of Airman Snuffy's goals is to get out of debt. He is struggling to make ends meet and is getting down at the lack of progress towards his goal. You realize his goal is part of the big picture of Airman responsibilities as directed by Air Force Instruction 36-2618.
As a supervisor, you provide Airman Snuffy with some guidance and provide him with the tools necessary for him to succeed. He seeks the advice of a financial counselor at the Airman and Family Readiness Center and is now on the way to being debt free. His confidence has gone up, his production has increased and he has little worries as it is now time to deploy. By taking an interest in your subordinate's goals, you have helped meet Air Force goals on a broader perspective.
If you don't already set goals, now is a good time to start. As you start to make this technique a part of your everyday life, you will find yourself advancing in your career and wondering how you did without it.