nd have a ‘focus on feelings’ debrief of the project. Ask your colleagues how they feel about the journey so far. What is hard, what is fun, what is annoying, what is going against your feelings? Most problems are hidden behind a rational list of solutions while underneath fear, anger, disappointment, frustration are sabotaging the outcomes. It will solve many obstacles by addressing emotions openly. More important: it will release lots of energy that can be poured into the new project.

Move from your mind to your heart. Check what your gut feeling or intuition is saying about the logical steps towards a goal. Express yourself and say “what about

"If you go to work on your goals, your goals will go to work on you. Whatever good things we build end up building us.” (Jim Rohn)

How is your first quarter of this year going so far? Many organisations and the people in them start 2007 with boundless energy, hope and eagerness to reach new goals, to succeed even more than last year, to change for the better. Some celebrate their achievements with champagne while others who weren’t so lucky hide in shame. What exactly turns a goal into gold?

A simple threesome does: Give Tools - Go Test - Gain Trust.

1. Give tools

Nothing is more frustrating than to start working towards your goal and not having the tools. This insight is often discovered while the project is already on its way instead of being analysed beforehand.

Solution: check with your colleagues, management, clients, suppliers, business partners what is needed first. Make a list of the what, where, when, why and who and communicate that to all. Decide what budget is available and what can (not) be done. Create alternative scenarios.

2. Go test

To avoid disappointment it is wise to test your new strategy. Do a test run with some customers. Ask a business partner to test the service or product among colleagues or ask someone outside the industry. Check if the new development is in line with your company’s core values. Test half way through the project and adjust if necessary. Know that there is no end to testing: decide when you feel it is right, don’t let information overwhelm you, trust yourself.

3. Gain trust

A goal means change. People don’t like change. Changing people is harder than setting a goal. People are wise to know what can and can not be done. Ask your team and business partners to create the goal with you. Hold brainstorm sessions, do a survey to get feedback, organise a goal setting event. Most of all: be clear on the why of the project. Keep people informed on every step and allow time for feedback and adjustments. Make sure you present the ideas that were implemented. Nothing is more frustrating than realising that the proposed suggestions or the complete project itself were never put into practise. It kills trust.

Focus on Feelings

Goalsetting is easy. The steps that lead to your success are more important. Spell them out. Then celebrate each step that brought you forward and don’t wait for the champagne after the complete goal has been reached. Keep up the spirit by having a ‘failure feast’ and acknowledge that most temporary obstacles are lessons prior to success. Dare to leave your rational mind at home and have a ‘focus on feelings’ debrief of the project. Ask your colleagues how they feel about the journey so far. What is hard, what is fun, what is annoying, what is going against your feelings? Most problems are hidden behind a rational list of solutions while underneath fear, anger, disappointment, frustration are sabotaging the outcomes. It will solve many obstacles by addressing emotions openly. More important: it will release lots of energy that can be poured into the new project.

Move from your mind to your heart. Check what your gut feeling or intuition is saying about the logical steps towards a goal. Express yourself and say “what about

al and not having the tools. This insight is often discovered while the project is already on its way instead of being analysed beforehand.

Solution: check with your colleagues, management, clients, suppliers, business partners what is needed first. Make a list of the what, where, when, why and who and communicate that to all. Decide what budget is available and what can (not) be done. Create alternative scenarios.

2. Go test

To avoid disappointment it is wise to test your new strategy. Do a test run with some customers. Ask a business partner to test the service or product among colleagues or ask someone outside the industry. Check if the new development is in line with your company’s core values. Test half way through the project and adjust if necessary. Know that there is no end to testing: decide when you feel it is right, don’t let information overwhelm you, trust yourself.

3. Gain trust

A goal means change. People don’t like change. Changing people is harder than setting a goal. People are wise to know what can and can not be done. Ask your team and business partners to create the goal with you. Hold brainstorm sessions, do a survey to get feedback, organise a goal setting event. Most of all: be clear on the why of the project. Keep people informed on every step and allow time for feedback and adjustments. Make sure you present the ideas that were implemented. Nothing is more frustrating than realising that the proposed suggestions or the complete project itself were never put into practise. It kills trust.

Focus on Feelings

Goalsetting is easy. The steps that lead to your success are more important. Spell them out. Then celebrate each step that brought you forward and don’t wait for the champagne after the complete goal has been reached. Keep up the spirit by having a ‘failure feast’ and acknowledge that most temporary obstacles are lessons prior to success. Dare to leave your rational mind at home and have a ‘focus on feelings’ debrief of the project. Ask your colleagues how they feel about the journey so far. What is hard, what is fun, what is annoying, what is going against your feelings? Most problems are hidden behind a rational list of solutions while underneath fear, anger, disappointment, frustration are sabotaging the outcomes. It will solve many obstacles by addressing emotions openly. More important: it will release lots of energy that can be poured into the new project.

Move from your mind to your heart. Check what your gut feeling or intuition is saying about the logical steps towards a goal. Express yourself and say “what about

the new development is in line with your company’s core values. Test half way through the project and adjust if necessary. Know that there is no end to testing: decide when you feel it is right, don’t let information overwhelm you, trust yourself.

3. Gain trust

A goal means change. People don’t like change. Changing people is harder than setting a goal. People are wise to know what can and can not be done. Ask your team and business partners to create the goal with you. Hold brainstorm sessions, do a survey to get feedback, organise a goal setting event. Most of all: be clear on the why of the project. Keep people informed on every step and allow time for feedback and adjustments. Make sure you present the ideas that were implemented. Nothing is more frustrating than realising that the proposed suggestions or the complete project itself were never put into practise. It kills trust.

Focus on Feelings

Goalsetting is easy. The steps that lead to your success are more important. Spell them out. Then celebrate each step that brought you forward and don’t wait for the champagne after the complete goal has been reached. Keep up the spirit by having a ‘failure feast’ and acknowledge that most temporary obstacles are lessons prior to success. Dare to leave your rational mind at home and have a ‘focus on feelings’ debrief of the project. Ask your colleagues how they feel about the journey so far. What is hard, what is fun, what is annoying, what is going against your feelings? Most problems are hidden behind a rational list of solutions while underneath fear, anger, disappointment, frustration are sabotaging the outcomes. It will solve many obstacles by addressing emotions openly. More important: it will release lots of energy that can be poured into the new project.

Move from your mind to your heart. Check what your gut feeling or intuition is saying about the logical steps towards a goal. Express yourself and say “what about

d allow time for feedback and adjustments. Make sure you present the ideas that were implemented. Nothing is more frustrating than realising that the proposed suggestions or the complete project itself were never put into practise. It kills trust.

Focus on Feelings

Goalsetting is easy. The steps that lead to your success are more important. Spell them out. Then celebrate each step that brought you forward and don’t wait for the champagne after the complete goal has been reached. Keep up the spirit by having a ‘failure feast’ and acknowledge that most temporary obstacles are lessons prior to success. Dare to leave your rational mind at home and have a ‘focus on feelings’ debrief of the project. Ask your colleagues how they feel about the journey so far. What is hard, what is fun, what is annoying, what is going against your feelings? Most problems are hidden behind a rational list of solutions while underneath fear, anger, disappointment, frustration are sabotaging the outcomes. It will solve many obstacles by addressing emotions openly. More important: it will release lots of energy that can be poured into the new project.

Move from your mind to your heart. Check what your gut feeling or intuition is saying about the logical steps towards a goal. Express yourself and say “what about

nd have a ‘focus on feelings’ debrief of the project. Ask your colleagues how they feel about the journey so far. What is hard, what is fun, what is annoying, what is going against your feelings? Most problems are hidden behind a rational list of solutions while underneath fear, anger, disappointment, frustration are sabotaging the outcomes. It will solve many obstacles by addressing emotions openly. More important: it will release lots of energy that can be poured into the new project.

Move from your mind to your heart. Check what your gut feeling or intuition is saying about the logical steps towards a goal. Express yourself and say “what about the pressure this will put on our small team?”, “what will happen with the waste we produce?”, “why increase the profit when we are doing great already? Isn’t it time to share our abundance?”.

The heart of goal setting is in the human heart: how do I, you, our client and our environment feel about this goal? Achieving goals with positive bottom line figures is just a by-product. Find a balance outside your balance sheet and turn your human capital into gold and don’t forget: dream bold!