For many years, I worked in sales or sales operations roles where quarterly goals were the norm. Every time a new quarter rolled around, the team would be filled with fresh excitement and confidence.

This was often short-lived. Within a few days,  procrastination and doubt threatened to keep us from hitting our goals. The key to success was how quickly you could get back on track before the 13-week cycle ended.

In this article, I am sharing four ideas to help you achieve your quarterly goals at work.

Have a shared understanding of success.

Before you begin working on your goal, it is crucial that you and your manager (or whoever set the goal) share the same understanding of what you are working toward. Quarterly goals have short time frames, and so there isn’t a moment to waste on this step.

If your goal can be easily measured using a number or percentage, this is a great start. However, there still could be different expectations about the result - or how the result is achieved.

Let's say you are a salesperson and your goal is to win €250,000 worth of new business in the quarter. This is a clear goal. But what if the business is focused on a particular type of client or wants to sell one product over another? If don't have a shared understanding, it could result in wasted time during the quarter as you do the work and then have to pivot to align with your manager or the businesses needs.

Taking the time upfront to discuss this and reach an understanding will save you many calls, emails, and hours of wasted effort.

Visualising what success looks like can be a powerful tool. Whether sketching a mock-up of the output or writing a future email to the stakeholders, these actions can significantly reduce ambiguity and prepare you for the work that needs to be done. This preparation will not only save you time but also boost your confidence in achieving the goal.

Double-check your plans

When planning the tasks, steps or activities required to achieve your goal, remember that you will be able to define the short-term ones more clearly. Don’t make the mistake of getting caught in “procrasti-planning”, which is the act of spending excessive time planning and not enough time doing. Map out the key milestones along the way and then plan your actions to achieve the first one or two milestones.

When I deliver workshops on creating a better workday, one of the biggest challenges people face is falling behind on work or running out of time during the regular work day. The more clearly you can outline the work that needs to be done, the better you can manage expectations and push back on activities that aren't aligned to the quarterly goal. This includes mapping out the prerequisites and follow-up actions necessary to achieve the goal.

In the sales example above, this might meen researching a new territory before you can begin approaching clients and updating the CRM system with your notes after sales meetings.

Most activities require some degree of prep and follow-up. Plan for these, and you will be more likely to get the work done.

If you would like to learn more about my workshops, you can contact me to schedule a discovery call.

Prioritise your goals in your calendar

A plan is just a wishlist unless you have time scheduled in your calendar to do the work. Every company I work with has meetings with colleagues built into the way they get things done. These meetings are on the calendar and can very easily take over the week.

Solo work on the other hand is rarely scheduled as explicitly. This means other work like meetings and requests from other people can crowd out the time you had in mind to do your goal work.

Goal time should be planned into your week as a priority. Choose 30, 60 or 90 minute blocks for as many days a week as needed to complete the work. Aim to have it during the time of day that you have the most energy.

Don’t just talk about progress; show it.

When it comes to achieving quarterly goals, it's not just about measuring progress. It's about actively showing others the progress. This not only helps manage expectations and improve the quality of your work but also keeps you accountable and engaged in the process. It's an great way to ensure you're on the right track and not over-perfecting work that's already good enough to achieve the goal. 

The next time you review your goals, ask whether there is an agreed-upon definition of success. Consider the ancillary work needed to make it happen, and check your calendar to see if the goal is a priority for your time. Show your progress regularly and stay focused on the outcome. 

By following these strategies, you can achieve your goals and experience the wonderful feeling of a “job well done”.

I deliver goal review and reset sessions, which help teams get back on track with their goals. If you'd like to learn more, get in touch and we can schedule a call.