Businesses are outsourcing just about everything these days. So, why not outsource the creation of your business goals? It takes a lot of time to come up with a good set of goals, and you may not have that time to take away from your core business functions. It may be time to explore setting up your business goals via outsourcing.
One major obstacle when considering to let others determine your goals is the cost. This is a planning task and strategic planning experts usually come with a hefty price tag. This isn’t necessarily a reason to shy away from doing it. You just need to make sure what you get is worth the cost.
You’ll want to choose someone who is knowledgeable about your business and in your industry. Depending on the type of business you are in, having a generalist setting up your goals may not cut it. There are too many aspects that relate specifically to your business that he or she may miss.
Another option is for you to determine your high-level goals and then let the outsourcer figure out the objectives to make those goals happen. This will include any research and time estimates for those objectives. Sometimes, this can be more difficult for business owners to come up with on their own and having someone do it can help.
Your goal setting initiative may include tasks for others to perform, like employees in your company. If so, make sure that the consultant you hire works closely with those employees. Otherwise, you may find them resisting the initiative, and you will be spending a good portion of your time micromanaging those employees.
One thing to keep in mind is that an outsider does not have your interests at heart. Because of this, you may want to get frequent updates to make sure they are capturing all the aspects of what you want to accomplish with your goals. Make deliverables for the outsourcer and discuss each goal or objective as they are created. It’s better to make changes early on than to wait until the end. Some goals will be dependent on others so you can make sure the dependencies are accounted for.
You must remember that ultimately you are responsible for accomplishing the goals. If you find that you either didn’t meet your objectives or you feel they are the wrong ones, you should not blame the outsourcer, especially if you signed off on the project when it was completed.