Vague Goals, Vague Results - Get Specific

Ever hear this in a meeting?

👉 “We need to improve communication.”

👉 “Let’s be more innovative.”

👉 “We’ve got to get better results.”

Cool. 𝗕𝘂𝘁 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗱𝗼𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝘆 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗮𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗺𝗲𝗮𝗻?

Leaders often set goals that sound inspiring but land like fog - nice in theory, unclear in practice. And when goals are vague, outcomes are too.

In STEM settings, where precision is the norm in engineering but somehow missing in strategy, this disconnect causes confusion, wheel-spinning, and burnout.

𝗪𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝗕𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝘂𝗹𝘁𝘀? 𝗚𝗲𝘁 𝗦𝗽𝗲𝗰𝗶𝗳𝗶𝗰.

Let’s break it down:

𝟭. 𝗠𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗶𝘁 𝗺𝗲𝗮𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲

🛑 Not: “We want better teamwork.”

✅ Do: “We’ll reduce project turnaround time by 10% by improving handoff protocols.”

𝟮. 𝗦𝗲𝘁 𝗰𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀

Deadlines don’t have to be scary - they’re just boundaries.

Without them, you get endless effort and zero accountability.

𝟯. 𝗞𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝘁𝗵𝗲 “w𝗵𝘆”

People commit more deeply when they understand the purpose.

Tie goals to real outcomes: revenue, impact, customer retention - whatever matters most.

𝟰. 𝗗𝗲𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝘄𝗵𝗼 𝗼𝘄𝗻𝘀 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁

Nothing tanks a team like unclear ownership.

Spell out roles. Collaboration doesn’t mean chaos.

𝗙𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗙𝘂𝘇𝘇𝘆 𝘁𝗼 𝗙𝗼𝗰𝘂𝘀𝗲𝗱

The most effective STEM leaders treat goal-setting like they treat data: specific inputs, defined outputs, and a clear path in between.

That shift - from vague to focused - isn’t just tactical. It’s cultural. It breeds alignment, clarity, and forward motion.

Executive coaching can help leaders sharpen this skill:

• Translating vision into action

• Setting goals your team can 𝗮𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗵𝗶𝘁

• Holding people (including yourself) accountable without micromanaging

Precision doesn’t kill creativity — it fuels momentum.