Fatiar objectivos grandes

Trechos que se seguem foram retirados de "The Secret to Accomplishing Big Goals Lies in Breaking Them into Flexible, Bite-Size Chunks"

Isto não é propriamente novidade, uso-o há anos e anos, mas parece que não é muito conhecido:

"Subgoals can make all the difference when ambitious targets seem too daunting

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At first glance, breaking down a bigger goal into smaller pieces might seem like a superficial "reframing trick." In actuality, it is a versatile goal-setting strategy that you can apply to almost any target—whether it's learning a second language, picking up a new skill at work, starting an exercise regimen or saving for retirement. But how certain are scientists that this trick is effective? Through a large, multimonth field experiment, we were able to confirm the power of this technique-which validates much older research with contemporary scientific standards.

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Similarly, we believe part of why subgoals motivate people is that these objectives make them focus on committing small bits of time or money to their goal in the near future, which is less daunting than making equivalent but larger and longer-term commitments. Taken together, this recent research suggests that whether goals require taking a single action or "keeping your nose to the grindstone," subgoals may help.

So don't plan to run 365 miles this year; aim for seven miles a week."

E volto a Schaffer - Uma sucessão de pequenos projectos que produzem resultados rapidamente, a Karl Weick - Small Wins e A importância de criar etapas proximais.

Já agora Procrastinação: 

"Eu devo fatiar os objectivos distais em objectivos proximais, em tarefas muito concretas. Para quê? Por que essas são muito mais tangíveis, são muito mais próximas, de modo que eu possa lidar com elas..."

A importância de criar etapas proximais

"Error 6: Not Systematically Planning for, and Creating, Short-Term Wins
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Real transformation takes time, and a renewal effort risks losing momentum if there are no short-term goals to meet and celebrate. Most people won’t go on the long march unless they see compelling evidence in 12 to 24 months that the journey is producing expected results. Without short-term wins, too many people give up or actively join the ranks of those people who have been resisting change.
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Creating short-term wins is different from hoping for short-term wins. The latter is passive, the former active. In a successful transformation, managers actively look for ways to obtain clear performance improvements, establish goals in the yearly planning system, achieve the objectives, and reward the people involved with recognition, promotions, and even money.
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Commitments to produce short-term wins help keep the urgency level up and force detailed analytical thinking that can clarify or revise visions."

Uma preocupação antiga no nosso trabalho, transformar sucesso distal numa série de etapas proximais, onde cada uma é uma oportunidade para celebrar o progresso.
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Recordar:

• Uma sucessão de pequenos projectos que produzem resultados rapidamente (Dezembro de 2012)
• Desmascarar mitos (parte IV) (Setembro de 2010) 
• Small Wins (Junho de 2009)
• Fazer a mudança acontecer (parte VII) (Junho de 2009)

Objectivos proximais

A primeira vez que ouvi falar de objectivos proximais foi em Outubro de 2008. O conceito fez logo sentido assim que o ouvi da boca do investigador Pedro Rosário da Universidade do Minho.
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Quando uso o conceito nas empresas, as pessoas franzem o sobrolho, contudo, após a explicação, percebem logo o sentido.
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Pois bem, Richard Rumelt em "Good Strategy, Bad Strategy" dedica um capítulo inteiro, o sétimo, aos objectivos proximais:
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"One of a leader’s most powerful tools is the creation of a good proximate objective—one that is close enough at hand to be feasible. A proximate objective names a target that the organization can reasonably be expected to hit, even overwhelm.
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a good proximate objective’s feasibility does wonders for organizational energy and focus.
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every organization faces a situation where the full complexity and ambiguity of the situation is daunting. An important duty of any leader is to absorb a large part of that complexity and ambiguity, passing on to the organization a simpler problem—one that is solvable. Many leaders fail badly at this responsibility, announcing ambitious goals without resolving a good chunk of ambiguity about the specific obstacles to be overcome. To take responsibility is more than a willingness to accept the blame. It is setting proximate objectives and handing the organization a problem it can actually solve.
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In organizations of any size, high-level proximate objectives create goals for lower-level units, which, in turn, create their own proximate objectives, and so on, in a cascade of problem solving at finer and finer levels of detail. Proximate objectives not only cascade down hierarchies; they cascade in time." (Moi ici: E por isso, é que Pedro Rosário os usa para combater a procrastinação)