Although there may be a benefit in formulating clear, challenging goals with activities, learning, achievements and results, that effect will be considerably less than if we combine these clear, challenging goals with a good follow-up process.
Follow-up is simply about seeing where you are in relation to set goals on a regular basis. It gives us an opportunity to change strategies, modify, call for help, resources and to make more effort. It will be clear to see if we are on the right path.
Follow-up also gives us a chance to, based on how it has gone for us so far and what we have done that has worked well and that has brought us closer to the goal. This type of structured reflection has been shown to have a marked effect on how we perform. At the individual level but also in work groups where studies show that it can have up to 40 percent effect on work performance. For example in teams, when we work with a regular structured reflection and look at how it has gone for us in the work towards our goals.
What you should keep in mind when working with follow-up is to make the progress visible. To continuously, as often as possible, make visible what we have done that has brought us closer to the goals. It can be that you show it graphically, tell each other about things you have done or to delete points on a to-do list.
Do not use follow-up to judge and criticize, but rather use follow-up to gather information if we need to adjust something. Also use follow-up to see if help, support and coaching is needed in any way. Above all, it is important in the follow-up that it is carried out in such a way that people feel safe to tell both about what they have done well, but also about what they have done that has not worked. So that we can learn from it and get a little better continuously as we work towards our goals.
About Stefan Söderfjäll
Doctor of Philosophy in Psychology Stefan Söderfjäll has studied our human behavior for over 20 years. Stefan wants to bring out research-based knowledge, above all about how we behave in working life. Stefan Söderfjäll is one of the owners of the Swedish digital tool for goal control, GoalEnvision. GoalEnvision is a powerful tool for you who want to set goals together in the company. GoalEnvision provides tips on successful goals and a simple methodology to get everyone to get the right things done.
Stefan Söderfjäll is a Doctor of Philosophy in Psychology and has spent more than 20 years bringing out research-based knowledge about how we behave, especially about how we behave in working life.
