Winning Coaches Know the Secret of Goal Setting
Key Points:
- Understand why setting goals is crucial for success and fulfillment in all areas of life.
- Discover the SMART rules of goal setting: Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, and Time-bound.
- Unleash the power of team goal-setting and learn how it strengthens collaboration, unity, and achievement.
Welcome, fellow champions and seekers of personal growth! In a world filled with opportunities for success and fulfillment, it’s time to uncover the secret that winning coaches know: the power of goal setting.
Whether you’re aiming for greatness in your career, relationships, or personal life, understanding how to set and achieve goals can be the key to unlocking your true potential.
In this article, we’ll explore the transformative impact of goal setting, discover the SMART rules that guide successful goal setting, and delve into the art of setting goals as a team.
Prepare to elevate your game, embrace your inner champion, and embark on a journey of growth and achievement like never before.
When you ask most people what they want before a competition, whether it’s a rugby game or a spelling bee, they will always say, “I want to WIN.” Who doesn’t? I’ve never met a competitor who said it didn’t matter if they won or lost as long as they had fun. That was fine when we were six, but it won’t do anymore. So, how do we do it, how do we win?
Setting goals could help you find the answer you’re looking for. Too many teams forget about this, even though it may be the most important training tool any team has. It doesn’t cost anything but time, and it could be the difference between an 8-8 record and a 14-2 record.
Most teams don’t set goals because they think that everyone on the team wants the same thing, which is to win. Since winning is the coach’s job, they also think that setting goals is the coach’s job.
Most coaches need to realize that each team member has different goals for themselves as a member of the team. I say “individuals” because everyone on the team is different and has different skills and attitudes. Which is clear in a sport like rugby and can be seen in every practice and game.
The coach’s job is to get these people to work together as a team; setting team goals is the best way to do that.
Let’s be clear: winning is not a goal; it’s what happens when we reach the goals we set as a team.
To get the most out of the goals we set, we need to follow a few simple rules. These are the S.M.A.R.T. rules, which stand for: S stands for specific, M for measurable, A for achievable, R for realistic, and T for time.
S: specific.
To reach a goal, it needs to be clear what it is. For instance, one of our goals is to win 50% more games this year than we did last year.
Let’s use the above example: the team’s record was 8-8 last year. To reach our 50% more wins goal, we now want to have a record of 12-4.
Please remember that this must be a goal that everyone on the team agrees on. Know that you’ll need to set more goals to reach this record.
For example, you’ll need to figure out how you’ll get to the record, what you’ll need to do as a team, what attitude you’ll need, what training you’ll need, and so on.
M: measurable.
Can we know if we’ve reached our goal? If our goal is to win 50% more games, then the answer is yes, it can be measured by how many games we win and lose. If we said we wanted to play better as a team, we might be able to tell if we did or not, but we couldn’t measure it. I’m sure we’ve all been in games where we didn’t play well but still won, and games where we did play well but still lost. We can’t measure how much better we play, but we can measure how much more games we win.
A: attainable.
Can we win 50% more games this year than we did the year before? Could this be done? If your team has a record of 16-0, it is impossible and can’t be reached, but if our team goes from 8-8 to 12-4, it is possible. We have to keep in mind that everyone on the team, not just the coach or a few people, has to think it’s possible. If everyone on the team doesn’t agree, the goal might not be reached.
R: realistic.
The goals they are trying to reach are usually the biggest problem most coaches have to deal with. For example, our record last year was 2-14, so it’s not very realistic to say that our goal this year is to have a record of 12-4.
They won’t work toward the goal if the team doesn’t think the goal can be reached. We need to set a goal that everyone thinks we can reach.
If we set a too high goal, most of our players will realize that it’s not possible and won’t work hard enough to reach it. People may think, “Why kill myself for something that’s not going to happen?”
On the other hand, if we set our goal too low, we will get the same result: “I don’t need to put in much effort to achieve that goal.” As rugby coach, we hope our players never think this way because it says a lot about us and how well we can help the team set realistic goals. When we set a goal that everyone on the team thinks we can reach, they will all work hard to make it happen.
T: time.
When we set goals, one big problem is that we don’t give ourselves a date by which we want to reach those goals. Using the example of winning 50% more games and having a 12–4 record, it seems like the time is already set for us: by the end of the season.
But to make sure we reach our goals, we need to break them up into smaller ones.
For example, we need to be at least 3-1 after our first four games if we want to have a real chance of getting to 12-4. We need to be 6-2 after eight (8) games, and so on.
We only used one example to show how to set goals as a team, but that’s not enough. So that we can reach this goal, we need to come up with the right strategy and action plan.
We can’t just say that we want to win 50% more games because anyone can say that. As a coach, it’s our job to help each player set goals that will help them reach their own goals and help the team reach its goals.
As we conclude our exploration of the art of goal setting, remember that winning is not merely about the final score; it’s about the journey and the growth you experience along the way.
Adopting the SMART rules and empowering yourself with a clear vision and actionable steps will unleash your winning potential and transcend limitations.
Embrace the challenges, set your sights on greatness, and watch as your confidence soars, relationships flourish, and success becomes your reality.
Now is the time to embark on a transformative journey fueled by goal setting—a journey that will lead you to the life you’ve always envisioned, both on and off the field.
Go forth, champions, and conquer!
