Wednesday, January 19, 2011

Focus on the Now, Not the Audacious Goal

To motivate and inspire people, good bosses set big, audacious goals: double our revenue in five years, reduce our carbon footprint, land three major target customers. But once those goals are set, don't harp on them. Instead, focus on what your people can accomplish here and now to get them to the end goal. When you focus on the long-term, people can become overwhelmed, panicked, or confused. Parse out the tasks that will lead to what you are trying to accomplish and ask people to take responsibility for those tasks. This allows people to retain their confidence and motivation while moving calmly toward the bigger goal.

Source: Management Tip of the Day - Harvard Business Review

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