Focus on Intent, Not Just Metrics
Intent vs. Metrics – The Balance in Goal-Setting
We all have great intentions, right?
We all have great intentions, right? If that’s true (which I believe it is), then why do we forget them all the time? Often when we set goals, we get so focused on executing exactly what we’ve planned that we forget why we wanted to do it in the first place.
While we like to think that our goals are based on data, specifically chosen to solve the exact problem we had, they’re not. Even the most data-driven plan is still experiment toward a potential solution. It may be based on an educated guess, but it’s still a wildly out of control experiment because we can’t control many of the variables...and by that, I mean the people. We can't control people!
The Problem with SMART Goals
This is when we need to come back to the intent. Often, we do a fantastic job of setting a SMART goal (Specific, Measurable, Agreed-upon, Realistic, and Time bound), but in making it measurable, we sometimes lose the intention behind that goal.
Case Study: Sales CRM System
To illustrate this:
A sales organization implemented a Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system to track the status of sales leads. They wanted to make sure that there was progress being made toward making the sale, so they set a metric to track tasks open versus tasks closed each month. They started reporting on this metric and discussing why certain months were low and others were high and why some sales personnel didn’t close as many tasks as others. Managers then started giving feedback and relaying the message that all sales personnel must have tasks opened and tasks closed each month, with the target being to make those two metrics equal.
This all makes sense because if you open tasks and close them each month, then, in theory, the project moves toward a sale. However, because the metric got so much focus, the intention got lost. So, the well-meaning sales associate who didn’t want his boss to look bad to her boss started simply closing long-range tasks at the end of the month and then reopening them at the beginning of the next month.
The metrics looked great, but the sales never came.
We set goals so we can move forward, but when the intent gets lost, typically the goal gets lost as well.
Are Your Goals Moving You Forward?
Review your goals. Are they moving you closer to where you want to be or are you distracted by the metric?
If you're ready to stop chasing metrics and start making meaningful progress, book a coaching session with me today!
© 2025 Kristina Schmitt Development. All Rights Reserved.
Comments