Setting goals in 3 easy steps
This article is written to support participants of the mentorship program organised by Ladies That UX Amsterdam. You can find more information about us and the program here.
A successful mentorship program is all about helping a mentee to take steps towards a professional goal, so tell your mentor about what do you want to achieve during this program. Together you can come with an action plan, tailored for your needs.
If you don’t have clarity on your goals just yet, that’s okay. You can explore your goals and then define an action plan together with your mentor, but keep in mind that in the end you’re the owner of your goals and you have the final say there.
Goal setting framework
When goals are written down they become more tangible. That’s why when you type in the Google search bar “goal-setting framework” you will get 362.000.000 results. S.M.A.R.T goals, BHAG goals, WIGs goals, you name it.
So that’s why we’ve put together a simple OKR inspired 3 step process on how to set and achieve your goals.
Note: You are free to use any other framework that works for you or don’t use anything at all. It is just our recommendation based on our experience in organising mentorship programs.
Wait, but what is OKR?
OKR acronym stands for Objectives and Key Results. It was introduced by Andy Grove while he was working for Intel in 70s. This framework was popularised by Google and now its being used by companies like Uber, Twitter and Linkedin. OKRs take big, ambitious goals and break them into smaller and achievable chunks. The beauty of this framework is that it works for big companies and perfectly scales down when it comes to personal goals.
Step 1
Find your ultimate objective.
Some time ago, you’ve already filled out the answer to “What are the goals a mentor could help you achieve?” or “What do you expect to get from this mentorship program?” Now is the perfect time to reflect on it.
Think about what should happen that at the end of the program you can conclude that your experience as a mentor or mentee was successful?
Take a paper and write down your goal, make it your North Star for this program. It should be bold, ambitious yet achievable.
For instance: By the end of the program I want to get a job.
Or: By the end of the program, I want to become a more confident presenter.
Your ultimate objective isn’t supposed to be quantifiable, but it should be specific and time-framed.
Note: It is completely okay to have more than one objective, but keep in mind that every objective should have its own measurable key results.
Step 2
Define your key results.
After setting the direction you want to take, you need to define how will you measure success. It is time to define Key Results (KRs), your indicators of progress.
You can do this exercise together with your mentor or on your own. If you choose to do it on your own, be prepared to present it during the next session with your mentor.
There is no perfect number of KRs, but try to stick to a reasonable amount. Having too many could be very distractive and having too little might be too easy. So something between 3 and 5 should work perfectly.
While writing down your KRs, think about why you believe this or that specific Key Result would help you in achieving your Ultimate Objective.
Ask your mentor to challenge you on your KRs, are they realistic?
Let’s take that example with getting a job by the end of the program.
Your KRs might be:
- Add 3 projects to the portfolio
- Get CVs revised by 5 design professionals
- Apply to 15 positions
It is important for KRs to be measurable, so you and your mentor can evaluate your performance. Results like “Create more appealing interfaces” or “Become a better UX designer” are not that good, because it is impossible to quantify them.
We recommend to measure your progress in percentage and use tools like Google docs or Trello, so both you and your mentor can easily access it.
Step 3
Make an actionable plan.
Now you need to make it more granular. Write down how exactly you want to get achieve your key results
- Add 3 projects to portfolio
Make a detailed list of the projects you want to add to your portfolio. - Get CVs revised by 5 design professionals
Identify 5 design professionals you want to reach out to get their opinion on your CV. - Apply to 15 positions
Find 15 companies you’d like to work for and write them all down.
When you have your action plan in place you have to stick to it and check with your mentor on your progress at every session. Use some time to reflect on what went well, what didn’t and why.
It might happen that closer to the middle of the program you will find out that some things don’t go you thought they would. That’s completely okay. Use such moments as opportunity to learn how to readjust your plans on the go. Before readjusting your plan have a retrospective session with your mentor and try to understand why things didn’t go as planned. One way or another you’re moving forward.
Summing up
Creating ambitious goals is easy but sticking to them and making them happen is hard. If you haven’t done that before, give yourself some room for learning and embrace the fact that you might not achieve that 100%. It’s okay.
Have fun along the way, try to learn a lot and don’t forget to celebrate your tiny victories.
Stay tuned to more articles of Ladies that UX Amsterdam 🙌
And check this article on being a mentor written by Organizer of Ladies that UX Utrecht Anouschka Scholten
