By: Allison McCarthy, MBA | amccarthy@barlowmccarthy.com

As you plan for 2022 goals at the end of the year, it’s a perfect time to consider your leadership needs. Are you ready to take your program to the next level? Is there a specific leadership skill you want to advance?

I wish goal fulfillment was as easy as waving a magic wand, but it takes discipline, tenacity, and a thoughtful approach. Just as successful organizations take time to create strategic plans, strong leaders take time to set a course for themselves – both for personal and professional accomplishments.

Create Space and Reflect

A great first step is to create some dedicated and uninterrupted time to reflect on where you have been and where you want to go next.

Like watching a documentary, visualize what you professionally focused on this year and what was achieved? Reflect on each milestone – without judgment.  How do you feel about those goals? Did they create excitement? Are you proud of yourself and your team? Do you feel neutral and wish you had done more?  What strengths did you use to achieve those milestones? What unexpected barriers got in the way?

Goals for Next Year

As you reflect on this past year, ideas will come to mind for this coming year. If you’re like me, there will always be too many to be realistic – but write everything down as a first draft. Exhaust yourself by identifying all that is on your wish list.  Here are some areas to consider as you ponder your professional growth:

1. Managing Up – How would you like to improve your ability to influence those above you?
2. Managing Across – How effective are your relationships with peers? Are there some that are missing? Others that need improvement?
3. Managing Below – How do you improve your leadership of your team – collectively as a group or as individual team members?
4. Managing Key Stakeholders – How do you want to advance your influence with physicians, board members, community leaders, vendors, other staff?

As you consider these ideas, can you identify any themes? Is there one significant improvement that if made would have the biggest impact? What new skills do you need to learn? What growth opportunities will make the greatest contribution to you and the organization? These now become next year’s priorities.

Achieving Your Goals

Your goals need to be further refined to ensure success. Consider:

1. Benefits – What are the expected outcomes of achieving that goal?  List as many as possible.  This becomes your why.
2. Quarterly Milestones – What will be accomplished at the end of each 90-day period?
3. Monthly Actions – What smaller steps need to be completed every 30 days to fulfill the quarterly objective?

Final Planning Step

Consider the resources and support you need to achieve these goals. Is there a mentor that can advise you on how best to navigate organizational dynamics? How about a leadership assessment to learn more about your strengths and challenges? Would a class or training program help with a specific skill? Or is it time for a coach to support you as you work through your process?

Goals help us to think forward – reflecting on what has been done and what is left to attain. But successful achievement requires purpose and diligence.  What do you want to accomplish next year?

If you are looking for a little coaching to help you create and accomplish your goals please let me know, I would love to help. You can reach me at amccarthy@barlowmccarthy.com.