When it comes to setting goals, there’s one key question every leader should ask: Are these goals truly inspiring my team—or are they just another box to check?

Effective goal-setting isn’t just about creating targets—it’s about creating buy-in. Goals that are clear, personal, and meaningful don’t just motivate your team; they transform your business.

Today, we’ll dive into why personal investment is the secret sauce to impactful goals and how involving your team in the goal-setting process can lead to results that exceed even your highest expectations.

What's Wrong with Traditional Goal-Setting?

Most goals fail to inspire action because they’re vague, disconnected, or imposed from the top down. Think about it: Who feels motivated by “Let’s improve project timelines” or “Increase sales by Q3”?

Here’s the truth: Goals only work when your team owns them.

When people are handed goals without context or involvement, they’re more likely to disengage. But when they’re involved in creating their own targets, something shifts—they see the goals not as obligations, but as opportunities to prove what they’re capable of.

Make Goals for Personal Maximum Impact

To have the most effective results, your team’s goals need to be personal. Personal goals connect to a sense of pride, ownership, and purpose. They’re not just numbers on a report—they’re a reflection of what your team believes they can achieve.

How to Make Goals Personal:

1. Involve Your Team in the Process

Ask your team what they think they can achieve. When people have a hand in setting their own metrics, they often aim higher than you’d expect. Why? Because they’re investing in their own success.

- Example: Instead of telling a sales rep to “close 10 deals this month,” ask them, “What do you think you can accomplish this month?” You might be surprised when they respond with a goal of 15—and a clear plan to make it happen.

2. Tie Goals to Their Strengths and Passions

Personalization isn’t just about numbers—it’s about aligning goals with what excites your team. A project manager who thrives on efficiency might set goals around reducing project timelines, while a client-focused team member might aim to boost customer satisfaction scores.

3. Challenge and Support Them

Once goals are set, be prepared to challenge your team to stretch further—but only if you’re ready to support them with the tools and resources they need to succeed. Growth happens just outside of comfort zones, and your role as a leader is to guide them there.

The Power of Team-Driven Metrics

Here’s where the magic happens: When people take ownership of their own goals, they’re not just working for you—they’re working for themselves.

What Happens When Goals Are Personal?

People show up differently. They’re more engaged, more motivated, and more creative in finding solutions. They don’t just meet expectations—they exceed them.

• Stat to Know: Teams that set their own goals are 20% more likely to achieve them compared to teams handed pre-set objectives (Gallup, 2021).

The Ripple Effect on Your Business

Personal goals create a culture of accountability and pride. Over time, this mindset builds momentum, leading to higher productivity, better collaboration, and sustained growth.

Why Clarity is Just as Important as Buy-In

Even the most personal goals will fail if they’re not clear. Ambiguity is the enemy of progress. Your team needs to know exactly what success looks like—and why it matters.

How to Add Clarity:

1. Be Specific and Measurable

Replace vague objectives like “Do better this month” with actionable targets like “Increase project delivery speed by 10% while maintaining quality scores above 90%.”

2. Explain the Bigger Picture

Help your team connect their individual goals to the company’s vision. When they see how their efforts contribute to something larger, they’ll feel a stronger sense of purpose.

3. Provide Regular Check-Ins

Don’t let goals gather dust. Schedule regular reviews to celebrate progress, address roadblocks, and keep the momentum alive.

A Quick Story: When Teams Own Their Goals

Let me share an example from the field:

A construction manager once approached his team to discuss project deadlines. Instead of assigning timelines, he asked his crew what they believed they could accomplish. The team, inspired by the opportunity to weigh in, proposed a tighter timeline than the manager expected—but they also outlined how they’d make it happen.

The result? They not only hit their ambitious goal but also saved the company time and resources in the process. Why? Because they owned the outcome.

Let Your Team Surprise You

As a leader, one of the most powerful things you can do is trust your team enough to let them set their own bar. You might expect them to aim for the bare minimum, but more often than not, they’ll rise to the challenge—and then some.

So, here’s your takeaway: Don’t just set goals. Create ownership.

Involve your team. Make it personal. Challenge them to think bigger. And then watch as they transform not just your business, but themselves.

Your Next Step

This week, try asking your team this simple question:

“What do you think you can achieve?”

Give them the space to set their own goals, and don’t be surprised if they aim higher than you imagined. Support them, challenge them, and celebrate the results.

Because when goals are personal, the results aren’t just impressive—they’re transformational.

Talk soon,

Greg Neil | Owner & Coach