Moving the goalpost is a popular business development strategy that involves setting goals or targets and then changing them when they are achieved. This allows businesses to stay ahead of the competition, as well as adapt to ever-changing customer needs and market conditions.
Importance of Balancing Consistency and Flexibility in Goal-Setting
Setting goals are important to establishing a pathway in life and business, but everyone struggles with maintaining the consistency of those goals. A system that is too rigid doesn’t allow for necessary changes to take place when circumstances change, but a relaxed system can make deadlines and goals too flexible. Maintaining a balance between the two seems difficult. While moving the goalpost can be seen as a negative because it allows for complacency, it also marks an ability to reevaluate priorities.
Milestones are important markers for success because they highlight the successes along the path. They are a reminder of accomplishments and motivate us to keep going towards that end goal. However, there are always multiple paths to accomplish one goal and changing circumstances may dictate that goals change. Keeping up with goals can make some fall into a wheel of chasing ticked checkboxes.
Importance of Setting Meaningful Goals and Consistent Evaluation to Drive Progress
Are your goals truly beneficial or are they just marking glorified busywork? When we accomplish a goal or complete a task, there is a sense of pride that comes with progress. Even if that progress isn’t genuine, that sense of pride can be a little addictive. Larger businesses with teams can become bogged down with assigning tasks and projects that might not actively contribute to the daily and long-term objectives of the business. Busy work is essentially a frivolous task.
This is why consistent evaluations are vital to overall success. Every now and again it’s good to move the goalpost because the rules of the game have changed.
When you do set goals, even long-term ones that aren’t likely to change, ensure that it’s a goal that requires consistent action. This doesn’t mean setting goals is fruitless unless they are unachievable, but setting goals that won’t stop progress. If your goal is to hit a financial milestone, then set goals that create a habit of that goal. The goal isn’t to only create revenue, but to keep systems in place that maintain and build upon that goal.
Benefits of Gradual Growth and Flexible Goal-Setting for Businesses
Moving the goalpost works here because it gradually introduces growth. It starts small and eventually leads to better results. Seeing results achieved gradually and more consistently is a much better motivator for businesses rather than obsessing over an unattainable goal.
Stop immersing your business in the mindset of “this or that”. Goals should have a structure, but they shouldn’t be rigid. This can cause systems to shatter because growth needs to be flexible. Unforeseen circumstances occur and opportunities arose because of this, so don’t let previous goals take away from looking for new opportunities when they arise. Keep an open mind and a cautious ear when developing long-term goals. It’s much better to listen intently to your surrounding before you make a decision.
