8 Ways to Boost Your Team’s Commitment to Goals

1. Be certain you have good team goals

As Stephen R. Covey said, “If the ladder is not leaning against the right wall, every step we take just gets us to the wrong place faster.” The same is true for goals. So before worrying about commitment, consider the following to ensure your Wildly Important Goals are the right ones:

1. No team should focus on more than one Wildly Important Goal at the same time.

The key is not to overload any single leader, team, or individual performer.

2. The battles you choose must win the war.

The sole purpose of WIGs at lower levels in the organization is to help achieve the WIGs at the higher levels.

3. Senior leaders can veto, but not dictate.

While the senior leaders will undoubtedly determine the top-level WIG, they must allow the leaders at each level below to define the WIGs for their teams.

4. All WIGs must have a finish line in the form of “From X to Y by When.”

Every WIG at each level must contain a starting point, a future result, as well as the date by which that result must be achieved. If the goal falls short of any of these standards, it’s worth revisiting before moving forward.