A few years back one of us (Tor Inge) encountered a peculiar situation. A CEO of an organization that Tor Inge worked with ordered his team to implement a new software solution and achieve the desired results within two weeks. The team had no clear strategy, no resources, no processes in place, no commitment from the management, and no plans for how to reach this target. Two weeks! thought Tor Inge. There is no way this can be done. The project was set to fail, and the team knew it.
“You should go back to your CEO and tell him two weeks is not feasible,” Tor Inge advised the team, but they refused. As Tor Inge came to learn, the mantra of this organization was, “A target which is dictated has to be delivered.” It was a matter of respect and cultural norms. Although this may seem odd, for the team to attempt to reach a target that they knew they couldn’t reach was culturally more acceptable than questioning the CEO’s request. Tor Inge wasn’t a fan of this approach, but there was nothing he could say or do to change the team’s mind.
As the project got underway, all milestones were missed, and the CEO wasn’t happy. He was confused as to why things were taking so long and questioned the team’s abilities. It wasn’t a good situation. The team eventually managed to get the solution up and running; however, the implementation took far longer than two weeks and put everyone involved under unnecessary stress.
Target setting plays an important part in your organizational strategy. It is okay to set up ambitious targets; however, they must be realistic and accompanied by a well-defined plan on how to reach them. When unrealistic targets are set, it’s crucial to speak up — raise a target rebellion! Often, CEOs might not be aware of the appropriate time, cost, and resources it takes to deliver a project and will gladly adjust their expectations to set their team up for success.
