Ships without rudders never get to port

Posted by Laddie Blaskowski on Mar 21, 2007

Try to imagine being adrift on the ocean in a sailboat with a broken rudder. You can’t steer the boat and have no control over which direction the winds and currents are taking you. One thing is certain—you’re never going to make it to port without that rudder.

The same is true of business when it comes to goal setting.

Goals provide a “rudder” for your business—a means of sending you in the right direction. Although one of the easiest business tools to use, goal setting is also one of the least used methods of making a business successful. But studies have shown that the simple act of setting goals helps accomplish more than if no goals are set at all.

It’s very common for employees of a company not to fully understand the direction in which the owners wish the business to go or the ultimate goal they’re supposed to be achieving. On the other hand, employers are frequently unaware of where the employees think the company is supposed to be heading and how they see their own roles in getting there.

Without clear direction and agreement on where everyone is going, those businesses are like ships without rudders. They may stay afloat, but will probably never reach their potential.

When I sit down with business owners to help them develop their plans, it’s interesting to see how many of them are unclear about what they hope to accomplish and what’s most important to them. I always start out by helping them develop a clear set of goals. Then we work on determining the steps needed to meet those goals. Finally, we make sure the goals and steps are clearly communicated to the staff. It never fails to amaze me what a difference this process makes in a company’s operation and success.

The reason is simple: Everyone is heading in the same direction. With a clear set of goals, people can determine if their actions are moving closer to or farther from the direction in which they need to go. Employees work at their jobs with a purpose rather than merely automatically performing daily tasks. The performance of the business becomes easier to measure. And the owners find that decision making becomes an easier process because they can now determine how their decisions will affect their goals.

So if you haven’t already done it, make it a priority to set some clear goals for your company. Then communicate those goals to management and staff, and track your progress as you go along. You’ll soon be pleasantly surprised to see that “port” on the horizon.