Goal Setting

How To ‘Be More Strategic’ – Questions To Ask From The Balcony

Posted by on Nov 9, 2021 | 0 comments

This post first appeared on Forbes.com “Be more strategic.” This advice comes along in the careers of most professionals seeking a management or leadership role. They reach a point at which it is not enough to be productive or to be an expert. In order to progress in their careers and contribute at a higher level they must be–and be seen as–strategic. But what is it to be strategic? Advice about being strategic is often a little vague, accompanied by the exhortations to “https://www.forbes.com/sites/hannahart/2021/03/15/how-to-be-more-strategic-questions-to-ask-from-the-balcony/get out of...

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Want to Make a Difference? Focus on Contribution, Not Impact

Posted by on Jul 23, 2019 | 0 comments

This post first appeared on Forbes.com I nominate “impact” as one of the most annoying and potentially harmful buzzwords in business today. Countless clients tell me they want to make an impact. Whether they are leaders in growing startups or tech giants, Millennials seeking meaning or mid-career professionals pursuing their next big job, they define success as having this thing they call “impact.” But what is it really about? Impact is defined as the striking of one object into another, a collision. This kind of impact is violent, even shattering, like a hammer through plate...

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An Alternative to New Year’s Resolutions: Year-End Lessons

Posted by on Dec 31, 2012 | 0 comments

Many of us fall into one camp or the other: the optimistic resolution-makers — who begin the year with energy and hope for positive change — and the cynical non-resolvers who sit on the sidelines and dismiss resolutions as delusional and doomed to be broken. But for those who see a value in year-end reflection and intention setting but don’t embrace the resolution model, I’d like to invite a slightly different approach — one that is both grounded in experience and constructively future-oriented. It has three steps: we celebrate our successes; we acknowledge our...

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Life on the Other Side of the Finish Line

Posted by on Oct 2, 2012 | 0 comments

Last weekend I completed the Bike MS Waves to Wine ride — the longest cycling event of my life — and I raised nearly $4000 for the MS Society. I feel strong and happy and proud. (I hesitate to admit that I feel proud, because my good New England upbringing taught me not to get “too big for my britches,”  but I do. Yay, me!) But what comes next, now that I have reached my goal? As I’ve been thinking, talking, and writing about effective goal setting, I haven’t addressed the crucial followup question: what’s next? When you are working toward a goal,...

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The Secret of Goal Setting: Values Alignment

Posted by on Sep 13, 2012 | 2 comments

The Secret of Goal Setting: Values Alignment

One of the first things we do in a coaching relationship — whether it is career coaching, leadership development, team coaching, or personal life coaching — is set goals. Like most coaches, I encourage my clients to (1) be very specific about their goals, (2) make them measurable (how will you know if you have succeeded?), (3) set a time limit, (4) identify what actions will move them toward their goal, and (5) relate their goal to their values, so that it inspires and motivates them.  It is the last element that is the true engine of achieving your goal. As an example, I will...

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What Do You Want?

Posted by on Aug 31, 2012 | 0 comments

One of the first questions I ask new and prospective clients is “what do you want?” More often than not, the answer is: “I don’t know,” or “I’m not sure.” The first phase of coaching then focuses on clarifying what the client wants so that he or she can begin to move forward with change. If you, too, are dissatisfied and having a hard time figuring out what you want, here are some coach’s tips to help you answer your big question. 1. Listen to yourself. Separating what you want from what you think you should want or what others want for...

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