November 2009
Men’s Ministry Best Practices: Developing meaningful goals for Men’s Ministry
Avoiding Common Failures by Steve Johnson
“I hate setting goals! They’re like having a faceless parent staring you in the eye, keeping you accountable, and making you feel bad when you don’t achieve them.” Such was the comment from one of my graduate students in a class on strategic planning. It’s the sentiment of many people, whether in the marketplace or in ministry. To many, setting goals feels more like being chased by a stick rather than chasing a carrot. But why do we feel this way about setting goals in life, ministry, or business? We all know that, without some kind of game-plan, most of us don’t know how we are going to get where we feel God wants us to go…so why does a goal-setting process feel about as much fun as a root canal?
After studying this phenomenon for a couple of decades and attempting to teach others the art and science of strategic planning, I have come to believe that the underwhelming feeling people get when approaching goal setting can be traced to one or all of the following dynamics:
- The goals aren’t meaningful
- The goals aren’t believable
- The goals aren’t clear
- The goal-keeper doesn’t follow through and keep track
Let’s deal with one crime-at-a-time and take these in order. Think about your own unique ministry as we discuss these issues, and you may get a couple of ideas as you approach goal setting with your team.
1. The goals aren’t meaningful:
When sitting down to write your goals, will they take you to a place that has meaning and significance for you? Goals are just a means to an end, not an end in itself. If the end has little or no meaning to you or the people you are ministering to, then you may be active, but you won’t be productive. Goals derive meaning as others are convinced that, in the achievement of the goals, they will be closer to their mission or vision. Each goal-or step-that is listed needs to illustrate a clear path to the promised land…or people will lose their faith in the process.
2. The goals aren’t believable:
It may be exciting to hear someone say…”Shoot for the stars, and if you miss, you’ll hit the moon!” but in order for people to stay motivated to accomplish a goal, it has to be believable. Super goals are impressive, but rarely believable. Organizational psychologists have known for years that if in the process of accomplishing a goal a person determines in his or her mind that it isn’t possible, he or she will lose momentum. This usually happens at the half-way point in goal achievement. Construct believable goals by following the well-known acronym: “Smart”
S – Goals need to be specific and clear so people know exactly what is expected of them.
M – Goals need to be measurable in order to determine the degree to which they have been accomplished.
A – Goals need to be attainable and realistic in the eyes of those who are working on them.
R – Goals need to be relevant to the mission and vision of the group.
T – Goals need to be on a time-table or people will lose momentum and excitement.
3. Goals aren’t clear:
One of the surest ways of defeating yourself in the goal-setting arena is to set ‘fuzzy’ goals. Goal setting is not a lot different than giving directions to a stranger who is looking to get somewhere. If he drives away, not sure of the landmarks that are obvious to the person giving the directions, the stranger will be lost. Make each goal clear and show how the accomplishment of each goal is going to ensure the attainment of the groups’ mission, and you will avoid much of the frustration and self-sabotage that is experienced in the strategic planning process.
4. The Goal-Keeper doesn’t follow through:
Finally, the biggest pain of all: the very one who initiated the goal-setting process doesn’t follow through and let the team know where he/she is in the accomplishment of the goals! Believe it or not, this happens more than one might think. If you are the captain, please make sure your crew knows where you are going, how you plan on getting there, and the rewards awaiting at the destination. And keep them abreast of how far you have sailed and the distance left to travel. If not, you will have what is known as a ‘motley crew’ on your hands!
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