Forget SMART goals; go for HARD ones

Check out today's Globe and Mail article, Forget SMART goals, go for the hard ones, by Harvey Schachter.

I have worked on so many strategic plans and project plans where we have preached the SMART goals – goals that are Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Time. This article states that SMART do not correlate with success.

In fact, the article suggests that you forget SMART and try HARD:

Heartfelt: My goals will enrich the lives of somebody besides me.

Animated: I can vividly picture how great it will feel when I achieve my goals.

Required: My goals are absolutely necessary to help this company.

Difficult: I will have to learn new skills and leave my comfort zone to achieve my assigned goals for this year.

This is the stuff that I can embrace, promote and demonstrate because let's face it, I want to achieve great things and I want others to be able to do it, too.

Enough of me ranting about this. Read the article yourself: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/managing/morning-manager/forget-smart-goals-go-for-the-hard-ones/article1546926/

7 habits of highly effective people by Stephen R. Covey

I was so surprised when my husband recently bought this book. First published in 1989 it has supposedly sold over 15 million in 38 languages. And it is still relevant today. I bought a copy years ago and havent' reviewed it in years.

Here is a summary of the 7 habits
http://www.quickmba.com/mgmt/7hab/