This article is more than 5 years old. Information may no longer be current.
Revisit your approach to achieve goals at work, home
Click Here to Manage Email Alerts
Becoming an orthopedic surgeon requires years of hard work, focus and achievement. Intuitively, many orthopedic surgeons envision and work toward goals. Some may adopt a systematic approach, but most seem to use personal abilities without a clear plan other than answering questions about hopes for the future.
Centuries ago, the Italian economist Vilfredo Pareto developed what is known as the Pareto Principle – 20% of activities account for 80% of results. He recognized a natural divide into what he called the “vital few,” or the top 20% in terms of money and influence, and the “trivial many,” which was the bottom 80%. The Pareto 80-20 rule is applied to a variety of disciplines. It has been said 80% of accomplishments are achieved by the 20% who set goals. Furthermore, others have analyzed goal-setting practices and noticed that if you put down a list of 10 goals, usually your first two will result in up to 80% of what you truly desire to accomplish. The ability to focus on top goals will provide the opportunity for the greatest level of achievement. Some other goals are often a distraction or stretch of resources and can interfere with achieving the top goals.
Objectives and key results
As we develop a consistent way of life and work, we may reach a comfort zone where we do not feel the need to think about goal-setting, achievements or change in status quo. We spend much of adult life trying to find a predictable, manageable and comfortable rhythm to day-to-day activities. However, that effort can be challenging and may lead to a feeling that all of our abilities were not truly explored and utilized to their highest potential. Pursuing excellence as an orthopedic surgeon becomes part of the fabric of our entire life.
In our professional lives, there is a constant pressure that something is urgent, especially early in careers. We struggle to identify what is truly important because everything seems important. Surgery, patient care, phone calls, paperwork, office management and leadership roles blend together to become a mosaic of who we are professionally. Catching attention for just brief moments will lead to an unfocused and distracted practice with good intentions but fewer actual accomplishments.
Andy Grove, a pioneer in the semiconductor business and former CEO of Intel, developed an approach to setting goals and measuring results. The idea of objectives and key results (OKRs) helped propel Intel into one of the most successful organizations at the time. The concept establishes goals, creates focus and develops prioritization, and can be applied to professional and personal lives. Since OKRs are shared, these also align team or family efforts toward similar goals.
Goals or objectives are signposts that provide direction. Each objective typically has two to four key measurable results. The key results are achieved by a list of activities. To be successful, objectives are ideally defined by a mission statement and are limited to no more than five objectives (although three is probably better), with a maximum of four key results. Objectives must be challenging and measurable.
It is important to scale OKRs to time. For instance, you will revisit long-term goals this fall. From this vision, you can establish objectives for the year. Annual objectives should be broken down into 3-month objectives with key measurable results. Being able to measure results allows for improved learning and buy-in from all involved in the process. Whether at home or work, this approach has the potential to establish clear objectives, focus, group buy-in and accountability.
Value and fulfillment
Although we truly enjoy the peaceful moments in our lives, we also value the fulfillment that occurs with each accomplishment. As we wind down from the activities of the summer months, the vision for our personal and professional lives should be revisited. From this vision, define at least three personal and professional objectives for the upcoming year. Establish measurable key results to assess achievement of the objectives. Three months from now, assess progress and renew the objectives.
In essence, our formal educational programs were comprised of this fundamental approach. If we received all the work of college or medical school on the first day, we would have walked away thinking it was impossible. However, it was divided up into objectives and key results. Imagine what could be accomplished and what life could be like if you are able to incorporate this approach at home and work.
- Reference:
- Doerr J. Measure what matters: How Google, Bono, and Gates Foundation rock the world with OKRs. 2018; Portfolio/Penguin.
- For more information:
- Anthony A. Romeo, MD, is the Chief Medical Editor of Orthopedics Today. He can be reached at Orthopedics Today, 6900 Grove Road, Thorofare, NJ 08086; email: orthopedics@healio.com.
Disclosure: Romeo reports he receives royalties, is on the speakers bureau, is a consultant and does contracted research for Arthrex; receives institutional grants from MLB; and receives institutional research support from Arthrex, Ossur, Smith & Nephew, ConMed Linvatec, Athletico and Wright Medical.