How to CLEARly think about Achieving Results to Set Great Goal?
The CLEAR method is a goal-setting technique that emphasizes the importance of creating goals that are challenging and collaborative, limited and legal, emotionally and environmentally sound, appropriate and agreed upon, and recorded and refinable.
- Challenging + Collaborative:
Questions: -What will be the most challenging aspect of this goal?-Who can I collaborate with to achieve this goal?-What are the goals that we want to achieve as a team?-How can we involve different departments or stakeholders in the goal-setting process?-What are the most challenging and ambitious goals that we can set for ourselves?
- Practical application: A business setting, an example of a challenging and collaborative goal would be to increase sales by 20% within the next quarter, by working closely with the sales team to identify new market opportunities and develop a plan to reach them.
- Cautions: It is important to set realistic and achievable goals that are challenging but not impossible. Collaboration should be done with individuals who have the same goal and not contradict each other.
- Limited + Legal:
Questions: Are there any limitations that may affect the achievement of this goal?Is this goal in compliance with all relevant laws and regulations?What are the specific objectives we want to achieve?How will we measure success for each goal?What are the legal and ethical considerations that we need to take into account?
- Practical application: A government setting, an example of a limited and legal goal would be to reduce the city's carbon footprint by 10% within the next year, by implementing new energy-efficient policies and technologies that are in compliance with all relevant environmental laws.
- Cautions: It is important to be aware of any limitations that may affect the achievement of the goal and to ensure that the goal is in compliance with all relevant laws and regulations.
- Emotional + Environmentally sound:
Questions: How will this goal affect the emotions of those involved?Is this goal environmentally sound?What are the values that are most important to our organization?How can we ensure that our goals align with these values?What impact will our goals have on the environment and society?
- Practical application: A non-profit setting, an example of an emotional and environmentally sound goal would be to increase the number of volunteers participating in conservation efforts by 20% within the next year, by creating a more positive and rewarding experience for volunteers and by focusing on projects that have a positive impact on the environment.
- Cautions: It is important to consider how the goal may affect the emotions of those involved and to ensure that the goal is environmentally sound.
- Appropriate + Agreed:
Questions:Is this goal appropriate for the current situation?Does everyone involved agree with this goal?Are the goals appropriate for our organization and its current situation?How can we ensure that all stakeholders are on board with our goals?What steps can we take to build buy-in and support for our goals?
- Practical application: A school setting, an example of an appropriate and agreed goal would be to increase the number of students passing their final exams by 10% within the next semester, by working closely with teachers and students to identify areas of improvement and to develop a plan that is appropriate for the current situation and agreed upon by everyone involved.
- Cautions: It is important to ensure that the goal is appropriate for the current situation and that everyone involved agrees with the goal.
- Recorded + Refinable:
Questions: How will this goal be recorded and tracked?Can this goal be refined or improved?How else could we record our goals and track progress?How often will we review and refine our goals?What are the most important metrics and indicators that we will use to evaluate progress?
- Practical application: A business setting, an example of recorded and refinable goal would be to increase website traffic by 15% within the next quarter, by setting up a system to track website traffic and by constantly refining and improving the website's design and content to make it more user-friendly and engaging.
- Cautions: It is important to set up a system to record and track the goal, and to constantly refine and improve the goal to make it more achievable.
It is important to note that the CLEAR method, like any other goal-setting techniques, is a guideline and should be tailored to the specific context and requirements. It is important to be flexible and adaptable when setting and achieving goals.
Keep in mind that goal-setting is an ongoing process that requires regular review and adjustment. Additionally, it is important to ensure that the goals are aligned with the values and objectives of the organization, and that they take into account the impact on the environment and society.
Related Methods to set goals:
BHAG (Big Hairy Audacious Goal): This technique involves setting ambitious, long-term goals that are difficult to achieve but inspire and motivate teams to work towards them.
Hoshin Kanri: This technique is used in organizations to align individual and team goals with overall organizational strategy. It involves setting specific objectives and developing action plans to achieve them.
Vision Board: This technique involves creating a visual representation of your goals, usually in the form of a collage or poster. It is often used as a motivational tool to help individuals stay focused on their goals and make progress towards achieving them.
