In a previous post, we encouraged leaders to focus on closing the “Saying-Doing Gap.” In nearly 30 years of working with leaders of top organizations, what we have found is that it’s typically not the saying that is the big challenge, it’s the doing.

With the pace and complexity of business today, it can be a significant challenge for those who serve in leadership roles to operationalize and sustain long-term organizational commitments. However, we also know that great leaders do not work alone. A leader’s team also plays a critical role in helping to initiate and strengthen his or her vision.

As part of the curriculum in Disney’s Approach to Leadership Excellence professional development training course, we share with participants how great leaders build and nurture collaborative teams, invest the time necessary to establish clear goals, and guide people in fulfilling their leadership vision.

So, if you want to start closing the “Saying-Doing Gap,” the next step is to align your team toward clear goals that will translate to desired results. According to this infographic by Weekdone.com, there are seven questions* leaders should ask when setting team goals to ensure their objectives will translate to results:

1. When is the right time to set a goal? Timing is everything. Get started as quickly as possible.
2. Have I written down the goals? Writing down goals translates to an 80% higher chance of achieving them.
3. Can everyone view the objectives? Leaders must “paint a picture”of success with clearly communicated objectives that everyone can visualize and understand.
4. Are my goals SMART? (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, Time-Bound)Setting specific, challenging, and obtainable goals enhances performance.
5. Are all objectives aligned? To increase success rate, make sure there is alignment between personal, team, and organizational objectives.
6. Am I out of my comfort zone? Challenging goals often lead to higher performance.
7. Does everyone know their next step? Divide the steps down into smaller and more managable daily, weekly, and monthly tasks, and create a regular check-in system to gauge progress.

*Source: Weekdone.com

Remember, the leader’s role is to first ensure that every member of the team clearly understands the goals and how to go about achieving them. Then, in order to accomplish their vision, the leader must continuously demonstrate his or her commitment to the doing!

How are you, as a leader, developing team goals that help close the “Saying-Doing Gap?”