You know that changes must be made, but the amount of effort that will be required and the size of the change seems almost overwhelming. This is often the case with important changes.
But remember the old adage – “the only way to eat an elephant is one bite at a time.”
I suggest identifying a “chunk” of change that you are willing to go after during an upcoming three – four month time period. What one big thing can you get done that will set you off in the right direction in making the even bigger changes that are necessary? Focus on a three – four month period so you can make the “chunk of change” a high priority for a manageable amount of time.
Once you have your idea for that “chunk of change,” then turn it into a SMART goal. Make sure that it is Specific and Measureable, so you can monitor your progress. Make sure it is Relevant to your larger vision for your organization, and that it is Time-bound with a specific date. Then finally, you need to pick an “A” to complete your SMART goal.
Do you want your SMART goal for your change to be Attainable or Aggressive or Almost Impossible? I always encourage people to Stretch, so I will recommend a Big goal. But you can read more about the trade-offs of these different SMART formulas in this brief article, The Power of Goals.
Don’t let the size of the change freeze you. Go after that Big SMART Chunk of Change in the next few months and you will be making even more of a Mission Impact.
