Why Every Team Member Needs Goals & Key Performance Indicators

It’s a common question (or objection) that I discuss with many clients and prospects…

“Goals & KPI’s….Really? Are they really necessary?

But we are only a small business?

But it’s just me and a few others, everyone knows what they need to do”.

My response?

YES. It’s that simple. 

Every single person who is on your team (which by my definition is every single person that works with you in your business in any way)… everyone needs them.

Because if someone doesn’t know where they are going – how can they succeed?

If someone doesn’t know how to check and measure if they are on track, how will they know when they aren’t?

Let me pause for a second and acknowledge the sinking feeling in your belly right now because I know that feels like more work for you, and I understand how busy and time poor you are.  I really do. I’m an entrepreneur myself and I know the busy-ness of running businesses and liaising with multiple team members.

But hear me out, because I’m here to explain how a little bit of work setting up simple Goals & Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) up in the short term, will return to you 10x the benefits and time it takes in the front end.

“It’s already half way through the year, is there any point bothering now?”

Yes! Regardless of what stage of the year you are at, if you don’t have business & individual team member goals and key performance indicators, today is the right time to establish them!

I’ve worked with hundreds of businesses over the years and of all the Owners/Founders CEO/Leaders that I have worked with {who all call themselves some sort of variation of these names} two very clear schools of thought emerge.

Some of us love having goals and some of us (most!) don’t love them because they find it hard to crystalise into something measureable, all the big crazy dreams that are racing around their heads down into words onto a piece of paper.

But regardless of which side you sit – love ‘em or hate ‘em – almost everyone – well let’s just say not many of us at all, are very good at:

(1) Communicating clearly our bigger business goals to our team {remembering my definition is every single person who helps you in your business in any way}

OR

(2) Setting goals for each team member {which are mini goals that all add up to make your big goal eventuate}.

You see there is a massive benefit in doing these two things.

✔ Communicating the goal makes it real

✔ Explaining the goal makes it practical and starts the conversation about HOW it may (or may not) happen

✔ Opens up the opportunity for shared brainstorming

✔ Starts the process of ACTION TAKING

✔ Empowers everyone to know clearly how they can help, get involved and contribute to your success

Sounds good right?

Trust me – I’ve watched so many business owners go from worrying alone about all about how they are going to hit their business goals to feeling so empowered when suddenly their whole team starts arching in the right direction and the big goal starts to come into view and suddenly feel… achievable!

So – if you don’t have goals or KPI’s and you’d like to get started – here is a simple action you can take to get you going.

“On the _______ {pick a date that is 6 or 12 months away} when I’m sitting celebrating with my {insert favourite person} the huge success my business has enjoyed in the last 6 months we’ll be celebrating achieving ………..”

Then once you’ve got something {anything!} down, start talking to everyone on your team about it… and see where the conversation goes and what starts to happen around you!

This little bit of imperfect action will show you the difference communicating and defining goals can make in your business. Want to avoid more of the common mistakes I’ve seen with the hundreds of small growing businesses I’ve worked with? Download the 5 Mistakes Entrepreneurs Make When Building Teams here.