Recently working with one leader who was coasting along with little new direction, raised some gigantic red flags for me. There was little excitement in his voice and even less energy in how he described his daily routine. As I tried to process what was going through his mind I kept thinking:
Aren’t you bored with the daily rut you seem to be in?
When was the last time you tried something new at work or in your personal life?
What is preventing you from leaving your comfort zone?
What would get your juices running and bring you joy and learning?
It seemed to me that what this young leader needed, besides a kick in the butt, was to look beyond his current work responsibilities and commit to stepping out of his cave. He needed to think carefully how he wanted to move his career trajectory along. He desperately needed a stretch goal.
Here are five ways to ask for a stretch goal and land it:
1. Acknowledge You Are Stuck
The young leader I spoke about didn’t have a clue he was running on a hamster wheel without stopping to come up for air. Day in and out he was continuing to do the same things and burning out little by little. He needed some new pieces in his job to challenge his mind and skills, yet was unaware of how tired and routinized his work situation had become. If anyone begins to feel a high degree of boredom or lack of excitement in their career or job-STOP!
Before tackling a stretch goal leaders need to acknowledge they are stuck but deserve to move forward. Share on X2. Decide With Clarity Where You Want To Go
Once we can be honest with ourselves that we are no longer growing in our job situation we are ready to clear our mind and think of ways we want to propel forward. Have fun with this step but in the end each of us must be clear on what we want our next crossroad to be. Ask yourself:
- What parts of my job do I like doing and want to continue doing?
- Which tasks are so old and routinized that I need to let them go?
- If I could create a new job description for myself what would it look like?
- Are there any questions I can’t answer right now? If yes, then write them out on a parking lot list.
3. Design A Reasonable Stretch Goal With Oomph
Just like with any other goal, it is so important to be SMART. Make sure to be specific and descriptive of what you want to do and add ways to measure it so you know when you have succeeded. Stretch the goal enough so that it will empower you to learn new skills and knowledge in areas that are fascinating to you. List out the steps you will take to achieve the goal and timeframes. You are now on your way.
4. Ask For It With Intent
Now comes the “ask”. This is sometimes where leaders falter but if we are prepared we will be victorious.
- Write out the stretch goal clearly and keep it front and center.
- Know your steps to meet the goal by going over them several times.
- Present your goal with confidence, explaining how it will contribute to not only your growth but the team’s growth as well.
- Stay focused, poised and positive.
- Be prepared for questions or concerns others may have. Anticipate.
- State your stretch goal in a tone of “yes I can do this”!
5. Follow It Through Even If Things Get Tough
The final part of landing a stretch goal and achieving it is making sure to stay the course even when you run into difficulty. Rely on trusted colleagues or bosses to go to for advice. Keep everyone updated on your progress. Believe you can and you will be successful in asking for the stretch goal and meeting it with great success.
How have you asked for a stretch goal and landed it?
It does feel great to have a stretch. It brings us to life in ways we didn’t even know we were missing. One of my favorite small shifts in thinking about SMART goals is that instead of being Realistic and Timely is that they should be Resonant and Thrilling.
Here’s to identifying those goals that bring us alive and making it happen!
Alli
I love your swapping with the SMART goals acronym! Resonant and thrilling are additional ways to stretch ourselves and empower us to overlook some of the fear of making a stretch. When leaders become fascinated with a change in their job responsibilities they are more likely to take action and step outside their familiar comfort zone.
Thanks Alli!
I loved all of your points but the one that really resonated with me was “Ask for it with intent.” Often, we forget how important it is to be specific when we set new goals to move ahead. If we’re not specific and move toward that goal with intention, we won’t know if/when we reach it. Even worse, we focus so much on the obstacle in front of us that getting around the obstacle takes first priority and our goal is shuffled to the background…
I agree that to grow our careers we need specific goals that will be a compass for our movement forward. The asking can be difficult for some of us so really doing it with intent and confidence goes a far way. In the end, if we realize how deserving we are of a stretch opportunity we will be successful in landing it.
Thanks LaRae for your additions and thoughts!
I love all your points here. When I was in my executive roles, one of my favorite techniques was to ask each of my direct reports to write me a letter at the beginning of the year, but pretending it was the end of the year). A visioning exercise of sorts…
The prompt, Dear Karin, this was the best year of my career. because…… It always made them stretch and think.. and it was so much fun to go back at the end of the year and talk about how many of those things that seemed crazy at the time, actually materialized. Stretch goals work best, as you say, when you write them down and break down the steps.
What a great exercise for leaders to establish stretch goals. I think when we are able to combine our fascinations with our career direction we are most likely to achieve our best. Of course we can’t just dream and that’s why being specific with steps and timeframes is so critical.
Thanks Karin!