Let me share why I love the idea of directional progress.
SMART goals (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant andTime-bound) can focus attention, prioritize efforts, and align team members quite well. Yet, in a VUCA world (Volatile,Uncertain, Complex and Ambiguous), SMART goals convey a level of simplicity and precision that does not always fit reality. Focusing exclusively on them may even erode resilience.
That’s why I invite you to also pay attention to directional progress. I do not suggest we abandon specific goals and accountability. Rather, choose to notice and discuss directional progress more regularly – alongside precise performance measurement.
The flexible nature of directional progress empowers individuals and teams in specific ways:
1. It provides a generous way to assess progress that does not require full agreement on granular details and contextual assumptions.
2. Psychological research shows that acknowledging progress is inherently motivating, even when goals are unattained or the pace fluctuates.
3. Emphasizing general direction over fixed team or individual markers, fosters cooperation around the end game, rather than disagreement or blame around uncontrollable factors and unwanted outcomes.
4. Like a journey where you expect turns and detours, directional progress as your GPS makes course corrections, experimentation, and real-time learning less stressful.
These four gifts of a “directionality lens” have their full pay off, if you share what you see with others. You can help reshape narratives, boost confidence, and encourage resilience in the face of unpredictable challenges.
So… Can you identify one or two dimensions of directional progress in a professional or personal effort over the past month? Appreciate your headway and talk about it (e.g., what worked and why, what was learned or improved, how can you leverage the momentum?).
