Disclaimer: These communications are intended for the employees of HB Global. We recognize that the general public will have access. The views expressed in these communications represent Bob Whalen in the context of HB Global and may not apply to broader audiences.
As we approach a new calendar year, there is a buzz around New Years resolutions. This may get you thinking more seriously about both your personal and professional goals for the upcoming year.
Sitting down with a blank piece of paper to set goals can be both exhilarating and daunting. While goals are highly personal and unique to each individual, let’s talk about some guidelines you can follow as you set and work toward your professional goals.
Goals Aligned with Our Mission
When considering your professional goals for the year, it’s important to keep the HB Global mission top of mind. We say this not only for the benefit of the organization but also for the benefit of you!
The first part of our mission that likely comes to mind as you set your goals for the following year is probably creating value. This is a tangible part of our mission to which you can set specific, measurable goals. The value creation may be a direct impact of your goals or happen indirectly because of your goals. In either case, creating value for the company benefits you when that value is shared back with you through our employee ownership program.
It’s also important though to keep in mind the other half of our mission when setting goals: to make HB Global a great place to work. It’s critical that the individual goals that you set for yourself don’t come at the expense of HB Global being a great place to work, which is ultimately beneficial to everyone. This part of our mission is equally important to creating value. We are not willing to sacrifice an empowering and meaningful work environment for achievement. When done right, each part of our mission is supportive to the other.
Goals Aligned with Our Core Values
It doesn’t just matter what we do, but it matters how we do it. We are not willing to sacrifice our culture of being a great place to work and prioritizing value creation for employee owners. Whatever our goals are, our priority is to pursue them in a way that aligns with our core values and mission.
As you set your goals, we encourage you to tie each one back to at least one core value. Some goals may be related to your personal development and can tie back to Growth. Some goals may be related to the amount of work your team completes which can tie back to Team and Grit. For managers, you may have goals related to fostering the Trust of your team. The possibilities are endless, but you can use these examples to get your brainstorming started.
It’s not only important that the goal itself can tie back to a core value, but it’s equally important that you endeavor to complete your goals in a way that aligns with our core values. Hitting a work-completed goal does us no good if our teams end up demoralized and resentful after that goal is achieved. By focusing on demonstrating our core values as you work towards your goal, you help to make your experience more fulfilling, uplift your team, and better serve your customers.
Engaged employees create raving fans which creates financial success. Focusing on our core values and making HB Global a great place to work as you work towards your goals feeds this cycle and ultimately leads to more value created for you.
Our mission and values are not prescriptive but rather are guideposts in helping you set and achieve your goals. We believe in trusting you with the Radical Autonomy that will help you to improve over the next year in the way that will most benefit you, your customers, and your division.
The Benefit of Radical Autonomy
At HB Global, Trust is one of our core values. We’re demonstrating this trust through our introduction of Radical Autonomy. We know that you know what is best for your customers, team, and division, and we trust you to set goals and act accordingly.
We also want Radical Autonomy to support you in striving further as you create and work towards your goals. One way that Radical Autonomy supports this is by allowing you to demonstrate your leadership while also receiving the support that you need. This strategic space to strive but also receive support allows you to take on stretch assignments that further enable you to learn and grow.
Radical Autonomy also gives you the space to creatively problem solve without too much rigidity. You can set goals that others may not have even imagined when you have the freedom to demonstrate a fresh perspective on pain points we may have and how to go about solving them. This can then create a positive domino effect of helping teams and divisions across the organization.
By creating an environment of Radical Autonomy, we encourage you to set goals where you can demonstrate your expertise, create value, get a little better every day, and make HB Global a great place to work in your own unique way. This not only positively impacts you but also has the potential to create positive change for your team, your division, and the organization as a whole.
Have your own thoughts or questions about goal setting at HB Global? Send them to [email protected].