A New Disease is Afoot: Setting Unobtainable Goals

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) considered giving half-doses of Moderna’s Covid-19 vaccine to people aged 18 to 55 in an effort to speed up the vaccination process.  Why?  Because the country missed its goal to vaccinate 20 million people by the end of 2020.  The final number?  Three to four million people were vaccinated, depending on the data source.

Moncef Slaoui, chief scientific adviser of Operation Warp Speed, the U.S. government’s vaccine program, says, “Data shows that antibody responses were similar among participants under 55 who received either the 100-microgram or 50-microgram doses.”  However, the FDA, having considered what Slaoui said, reported there is insufficient evidence to support offering a 50-microgram dose.

What is unfolding here is similar to the dynamic in organizations.  Leaders regularly set unobtainable goals that the company misses, and then they wonder why trust in leadership and employee engagement are low.

As we enter the new year, it’s critical that leaders set stretch goals that are attainable.  Employees like when the bar is set high, but not so high that they are being set-up to fail.  Everyone likes to succeed and be on a winning team.  Make that possible for your employees by setting realistic goals that everyone can achieve together.

JILL, WHAT CAN I DO?  Set goals for your organization and team that excite people: they exceed what you have accomplished in the past, but are doable as long as everyone works strategically and gives it their all.  And don’t forget to recognize milestones and regularly recognize employees for their hard work.  Recognition goes a long way toward getting people to be more engaged and give you 100 percent discretionary effort.  The formula is straightforward, now it’s up to you to execute.