If you hold a leadership position within your sorority you’ve probably been asked one time or another to create some goals for your term or for the chapter as a whole. Whether it’s your meeting with the chapter president, attending a Panhellenic workshop, a national requirement or a personal motivator – goals are a helpful tool for leaders of any kind. During my time as a sorority leader, I grew to understand the importance of goal setting and how they help get us to where we’re going. The most common model for goal development is the SMART goals model but I have grown to have a dislike towards it. SMART stands for specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound. In theory, the model is designed to help facilitate goals that are attainable. Because unrealistic goals just leave us discouraged and disillusioned and as a sorority leader that is far from where you want to be.
I’m not writing that SMART goals should be canceled but I think we can step outside of the mold and outsmart what is being asked of us. Hear me out – when you are asked to create a goal for your specific role in the chapter (especially at the start of your term) your mind goes in every direction as you brainstorm ideas. You don’t want to let the members down and you feel a responsibility to prove yourself so you aim high only to be constrained by the reminder that the goal must be specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound. What I found to help me when creating SMART goals is to think about it as a list of reminders, not rules. Just that mindset shift alone allows me to be more creative with my goals. One of the most defeating things as a sorority leader is when you no longer have a passion for the role you’ve been elected in – don’t let a restrained goal-setting model be the thief of your joy!
We are asked to set goals so that we have a direction and a point of reference for future reflection. When we bring others in on achieving our goals, it increases the chance that we will succeed but also requires us to speak in this language of specific and relevant goal setting. So when you are asked to create a goal (and you will be) keep the SMART goal principle in mind but don’t hesitate to allow your creativity and excitement to take over. The model is well-designed and when used correctly can help bring your visions to life. Outsmarting the SMART goal, however, allows you to escape the restraints it can put on you. Meet with your fellow officers or committee and write up a goal that you all feel is achievable with the time and resources you’ve been given while also allowing yourself space to dream up big ideas sister! You were elected into this position based on the goals you hoped to achieve and you have a supportive chapter behind you. Allow your goal to guide you throughout the term as you experiment and explore new possibilities.
As you start your position, know that we are rooting for you and all that you’ll learn in your term. Don’t let a goal put you in a box, step outside of it and do big things. You’ve got this!
