O mega goals! — or, rather, OMEGA goal

How to achieve your ultimate ambition

The globular cluster Omega Centauri seen from ESO’s La Silla Observatory. Image via Wikimedia Commons.

A goal well defined is almost completed.

And among the goal-setting frameworks, SMART is the most recognized and referred to.

SMART stands for (the way it was defined almost 40 years ago by George T. Doran in the November 1981 issue of Management Review, with a slight touch of edit):

• S, specific — the goal targets a specific area for improvement;
• M, measurable — the goal is quantified or at least has a suggested indicator of progress;
• A, assignable — the goal has someone specified to do it;
• R, realistic — it is stated what results can realistically be achieved given the available resources;
• T, time-bound — it is specified when the results can be achieved.

Goals and objectives defined in the SMART fashion address rather tangible questions of “what”, “when”, “how”, and “how many” type. But SMART definitely doesn’t provide for the spirit and the soul of the aim, its deep sensible and emotional components, something that makes the goal personal.

Hence to consider the cornerstone questions of “why” and “whom for” another type of framework to define the vector of one’s efforts is needed.

Welcome, OMEGA.

OMEGA stands for and is applied to the goal that is (the way I define it in March 2021):

• O, one — the single most significant goal you aim to focus on at this point of time in your life;
• M, meaningful — the goal that develops your personal reasons and purpose;
• E, engaging — the goal that inspires and empowers you, and puts you in a flow state;
• G, genuine — the goal that is truly defined by you rather than placed upon you by others;
• A, ambitious — the goal that is astounding, bold, and challenging, and makes and helps you grow.

Leadership and management go hand in hand in the life of a person, team, or organization. The SMART framework is suitable for defining the specifics of steps to be taken thus helping to deal with managing self, people, and things. However, it is the OMEGA framework mindset that brings a sense of purpose to the story and gives the leader — of oneself, team, or organization — the tools to make a leap and achieve the ultimate goal.

OMEGA and SMART complete each other by bringing the best from leadership and management dimensions, allowing to develop a holistic view and to establish the future achievement of one.