Why do career goal setting strategies fail? In addition to being realistic, the goals we set must have other characteristics. They must be measurable, concrete, significant and fit into a timetable.
The problem arises when, for various reasons, we set vague, overly ambitious or unimportant goals. In addition, we sometimes lack consistency and commitment, so we never find the right time to make them happen. Or, by the time we do, it’s too late. After all, there is always something better, more fun, or easier to do than change.
Regardless, the simple act of setting goals, for example career goals, implies a certain degree of commitment to oneself as a worker (vision of the future) and also to the company to which one belongs (as long as “change jobs” is not on the list).
How to clearly define your career goals?
The definition of the different professional objectives is part of the more or less continuous revision of our professional project, which is something more general and abstract than concrete objectives for a specific year. This definition can be done if you are actively looking for a job or if you plan to stay in your current activity but want to give it a certain twist or take steps to revitalize it.
Here are 6 suggestions for setting achievable and meaningful professional goals for 2024.
Think about your motivation
When strategizing your career goals for 2024, whether big or small, leave space for reflection: why are you setting these goals? Why now?
These types of questions can take a long time to answer unless you are very clear about what you want to accomplish in the new year and are already on track with your career goals for the year. new Year.
Think about them, let them flow through your mind. Giving them an answer, even provisional, will help you make the connection between the goals you have set for yourself and your real needs and motivations at the moment.
Distinguish your career goals from the company’s goals for you.
Your goals and those of your business don’t have to coincide. It is common, especially in relatively large companies, for managers to analyze with the members of their team the objectives they have set for the following period: these are the official, explicit objectives, in agreement with the organization.
However, each employee can, internally, start this healthy internal competition with themselves and think about what they need or what they would like to change as a collaborator, even if they never share it with their manager or his colleagues, or if the content is only something of his own and does not involve anyone else.
Don’t complicate your life more than necessary
Your 2024 career goals shouldn’t be too many or too few, complex or simple: they should be yours, the ones that make sense for your career right now.
Some may be more long-term, such as improving your English. Others can be done on an ongoing basis, as you go (for example, arriving on time every day or not eating in front of the computer). Sometimes small changes can have a big impact on psychological well-being, even if at first glance they may not seem like a big deal: “I will leave on time every day, not later” can be a great example – and simple, at least in its approach – of a professional objective.
Distinguish between goals and actions
It is obvious that sometimes the actions to be carried out are already the objective in themselves, but sometimes it is practical to separate things in order to be more orderly.
For example, a person may set a professional goal to “dedicate only as much time to work as is necessary.” That’s the goal, but how will she put it into practice? By translating it into concrete actions. For example, “Don’t schedule meetings after a certain time” or “Don’t check company email outside of work hours” are two measures that will help him achieve his goal.
Prioritize the objectives correctly
You may be wondering whether you should set a lot of goals, whether any goal is valid for your 2024 career strategy, or whether you should be conservative and select as many as possible.
In reality, the question is not whether your list of goals has one or fifteen items. The important thing is that the goals you set are achievable and that you are well organized when setting them, rather than building sandcastles that will end up frustrating you.
Once you have your initial plan, stop and think about which elements you plan to implement are truly important and which are secondary, in order to decide how much resources to invest in each. Also think about the elements that are in your sole hands and those for which you will have to rely on the complicity of other people.
A third axis can be the calendar: it is possible that all the objectives do not necessarily begin in January, but their deadline is later. With these criteria in mind, and others you may want to consider, get to work.
Don’t view your career goals strategy as a threat
Think, of course, but don’t be too solemn. It is clear that every decision we make at a given moment conditions future decisions, outcomes, etc., whether we are aware of it and can map it or whether we never become aware of it or whether we never evaluated it. This should encourage caution and reflection when setting our professional goals, but we must also balance it with the idea that life takes many turns, that everything is provisional and that we cannot measure, anticipate or control all variables.
The life of human beings is not an excel table or an algorithm. We must leave room for fluidity, spontaneity and openness to experience when we choose certain paths. A structured professional project is not a robotic project, nor a sealed space as if it were the door to a pyramid.
>> Also read: Work from Home Jobs: Navigating the Path to Career Freedom
Key objectives for HR managers
Human resources managers are also employees of the company. They therefore have individual career objectives set by their superiors or that they set for themselves. Furthermore, one of their most important functions is to propose at the beginning of the year – and then monitor – the most important performance objectives for their own department, as well as to guide the rest of the team in the achievement of one’s own objectives.
To help you with this task, weeklywoo has prepared an OKR guide for HR managers for the coming year. This document will be very useful for them to take care of their teams, using it as a powerful complement to the professional goals they have already set.
Each HR manager must design their OKR strategy according to the characteristics of their company. However, here are three examples of professional goals that will be strongly pursued in 2024 in HR departments.
Increase the efficiency of recruitment processes
Large companies always have selection processes in place, but often, haste, poor information management or a methodology that is not up to date generates inefficiencies. In this case, it is difficult to detect candidates for a specific position, or premature desertions occur, which reopens the process and generates a significant expenditure of resources.
When defining this career goal quantitatively, you might consider, for example, shortening the length of current recruiting processes by looking at the attrition rate from the trial period and the turnover rate you had in 2023.
Improve collaboration between departments
Effective internal communication and collaborative company culture are essential for a company to achieve the desired results and stand out from its competitors. The more complex the structure of an organization, the more effort must be made to ensure that different departments work together harmoniously to achieve this level of efficiency.
This OKR can be operationalized in terms of interdepartmental meetings, activities that allow members of different departments to become familiar with other areas of the company, and even through team building.
Diversify talent development within the company
In an extremely complex and competitive world of work, it is essential to identify different professional profiles, integrate them into the company and develop them so that they can make the company shine without stopping learning.
HR managers should take this into account when planning their key outcomes in terms of internal training programs, career development and approach to job offers.
>> Also read: Time Management Tips for Busy Bloggers
Mental Wellbeing for Business
At weeklywoo, we partner with businesses around the world to inspire human growth and guide organizations in building a positive culture of mental well-being. A tailor-made, people-centered approach that places the health of your employees at the center, as a fundamental pillar for attracting and retaining talent as well as strengthening their sense of belonging.
A unique, comprehensive and scalable solution that uses the power of data to provide a holistic understanding of the psychological well-being of your employees, while ensuring quality of service and privacy for your team. We hope you found this article on setting career goals interesting. If you would like more information about weeklywoo’s mental wellbeing solutions for businesses, just ask and we will contact your team as soon as possible.
