Episode 659 - Setting Growth Targets That People Actually Chase

0:00Hello everyone and welcome to the 7 Minute Leadership Podcasts episode 659. Today we're talking about something every leader deals with yet very few leaders truly get right, setting growth targets that people actually chase. Every organization has targets, revenue targets, performance targets, growth targets, strategic targets, and culture targets, targets are everywhere, yet here's the problem. Most employees do not chase the targets their leaders set. They tolerate them, they acknowledge them, they sometimes even memorize them, they rarely

1:03pursue them with energy. If your team is not chasing the target, the target is meaningless. In the reason this happens is simple, leaders often set targets that look good on paper but feel disconnected from the people responsible for achieving them. Let me explain this, many leaders set growth targets from spreadsheets and boardroom discussions. The numbers get approved, it goes into a presentation, it becomes a slide, it gets announced during a meeting, and the team hears it. But hearing a target in believing in a target are two completely different things. When people believe in a target, they move toward it with urgency, they talk about it, they measure their progress, they feel a sense of ownership. When people do not believe in the target, the goal becomes background noise, it becomes another corporate buzzword floating around the building.

2:06So how do you create targets that people actually chase? First people need to see themselves inside the target. If the goal feels like it belongs to leadership, only nobody runs toward it. The best growth targets connect directly to the work people perform every day. The employee should be able to look at the goal and say, I know exactly how my effort moves that number. If the goal feels distant or abstract motivation collapses. Second, targets must feel achievable but demanding. And this is a delicate balance. If a target is too easy, nobody feels pride when they hit it, it becomes routine. It does not inspire effort. If a target feels impossible, people quietly disengage. They go through the motions because they believe the outcome has already decided. Great leaders set goals that stretch the team without breaking their belief.

3:10Think of it like this, the target should feel uncomfortable but reachable. It should push people to improve their skills, tighten their focus, and work together with intention. Third, people chase targets they can see. Leaders often announce goals once then disappear back into operational work. Weeks pass, months pass, suddenly someone asks during a meeting, how are we doing on the goal? And silence, nobody knows. If a target disappears from daily conversation, it disappears from daily effort. Leaders must keep the target visible. Post-progress, talk about the numbers, celebrate movement, highlight improvements. Visibility creates momentum and momentum creates belief. Fourth, progress matters more than perfection. One of the biggest leadership mistakes is waiting until the finish line to recognize effort

4:12when people are working toward a difficult target. They need proof that their effort is producing results. Even small improvements build confidence. Imagine two teams, one team, hears about a target once a quarter. The other team tracks their progress every week. They see the needle move. They watch their effort produce visible results. Which team will chase the goal harder? One that can see progress, progress fuels motivation. And finally, the most important point, people chase targets that feel meaningful. This is where many leaders miss the mark. Numbers alone rarely motivate people, purpose motivates people. If the growth target only benefits the organization, employees feel like they're working harder for someone else's scoreboard. When the target connects to something meaningful, everything changes, maybe it improves the customer experience, maybe it strengthens job security, maybe it expands opportunities

5:16for the team, maybe it creates pride in the work. When leaders explain why the target matters, the number becomes a mission and people chase the mission. Here is a simple leadership exercise you can try this week. Make one growth target inside your organization and ask three questions. Do people understand it? Do people see how they influence it? Do people care about it? If the answer to any of those questions is no, the target needs work. Because the best growth targets do not live inside spreadsheets, they live inside people, they live in conversations, daily decisions, and shared belief when leaders create targets that people understand, believe in and see progress towards something powerful happens. People stop waiting for direction, they start moving toward the goal on their own. That is when leadership shifts from pushing people forward to watching them run.

6:21So targets are not supposed to sit on a slide deck, they are supposed to create motion. If you want people to chase growth, make the target clear, visible, meaningful, and connected to their work. When the team believes the finish line matters, you will not need to push them. They will already be running. And if you want more free leadership resources, head over to paulfalivalido.com and click on free stuff. I have over 25 free leadership documents you can download and start using today. This has been the seven minute leadership podcast, and I thank you for listening.