Objective-setting has become a fundamental strategic element for most organizations. They rely on schemes like OKR (Objectives and Key Results) to put employees on track for optimal performance, and many companies have started implementing more personal and non-tangible goals to help employees succeed in the workplace.
It leads to the questions: how are individual goals and objectives related? How do we help individuals determine their goals and objectives?
It absolutely is not a “one size fits all” situation when it comes to goal-setting. This is where the LEGO® Serious Play® methodology can help.
We often use the terms goal and objective interchangeably. However there are subtle differences between the two. A goal is usually a more broader achievable outcome that one reaches over the long term, meanwhile an objective has measurable actions to achieve a goal in a typically shorter time period.
Organizations tend to focus on objectives because they are directly linked to performance. For example, they might set an objective to sell X amount of a product or increase website traffic by X visitors. But goals are what give people motivation to achieve their objectives.
Let’s turn to LEGO® Serious Play® workshop.
In my experience as a manager of teams and mentor through the Verona Professional Women Networking mentor program, most individuals struggle to define the outcomes they want to achieve. Most will be able to tell you that they want to take progressive career steps or change jobs or maybe even learn some new skills. But most can visualize that road to change or success while identifying any obstacles along the way and planning how to overcome them.
Obstacles, whether known or unknown, often block individuals from even setting goals in the first place. And while obstacle tends to associated with negative thoughts, it simply derives from Latin meaning “stand before, stand opposite to”. Typical obstacles that stand out immediately are fear and uncertainty. However we tend to forget that certain other positive aspects of our lives can be obstacles in other areas. For example, having children can often be an obstacle for career growth (for various reasons).
LEGO® Serious Play® is a proven methodology to bring the creativity, the exuberance and the inspiration of play to the serious concerns of the business world. Using the classic bricks, the methodology focuses on constructivism, play, imagination and identity.
This is a visual representation of professional and personal goals.
As a certified facilitator, I dediced to apply the LEGO® Serious Play® methodology to recent mentoring sessions on goal-setting in a series of 1 to 1.5 hour sessions that include:
Visual builds of professional and personal goals and how they interconnect
Visual builds of a situational analysis and getting the individual from Point A to Point B
Visual builds to define obstacles in achieving outcomes
Assigning priority to various obstacles
Visual builds of achievable action points to overcoming obstacles
Building, sharing and reflecting helps individuals express their thought process, perhaps even repressed thoughts, and use concrete objects to visualize an action plan.
What are the takeaways from this 1to1 workshops?
2-3 achievable goals than can be converted into measurable objectives
Awareness of the obstacles that can hinder achievement and their priority level
Solid action plan for achieving goals
An added value is the fun and stress-free environment of LEGO® Serious Play®!
Interested in learning more about individual goal-setting with LEGO® Serious Play®? Contact me!