Simplicity Wins: Crafting Memorable Goals

Try something with me.
Take a moment and hum Justin Timberlake’s Can’t Stop The Feeling, AKA Sunshine In My Pocket.
Are you bopping yet?
Even if you’re not a fan, you’ve likely heard the song in some capacity and are nodding your head in time with the beat.
Great. Now let’s switch gears. Try humming Bach’s Air on the G String.
Can you?
It’s one of the most well-known pieces of classical music in the world. But my guess is that for most people, JT was a lot easier to recall than Bach.
And yet, which of those songs is considered more sophisticated? More nuanced? More meaningful in the grand scheme of musical history?
Meaningful is not the same as memorable. This goes for music, and for your business goals.
You’ve most likely written a set of business goals for the new year and shared it with your team. If you were to compare those goals to these songs, which one would be the better match?
If you are like most corporate leaders, it’s Bach. Your goals are nuanced, sophisticated and beautifully written. But there’s also a strong chance that they’re not very memorable.
When it comes to goal setting, recall is important.
You can express your company’s goals and priorities in the most elegant verbiage. But if your team can’t remember them, what chance do they have of recalling them when things get busy? How many business goals can your team recall today, only a few weeks after setting them?
In today’s asynchronous workplace, you cannot be there to continually remind your team. They need to be able to recall on their own.
A bit of catchy wordplay or a clever visual cue will lodge in their minds and help them discern which daily requests best align with company goals.
Make your goals more memorable, and perhaps less nuanced. You’ll be helping your team align their efforts to outcomes, which at its heart is what leadership is all about.
About The Author

Kristin Lytle | As CEO of The Leader’s Edge, Kristin is on a mission to help organizations stop wasting potential. Kristin’s 20+ years of global leadership experience at top organizations make her a trusted partner to business leaders. As a dynamic speaker, facilitator, and thought leader, Kristin has been featured in Fast Company, SUCCESS Magazine, iHeartRadio’s CEOs You Should Know, and more.