The road to economic recovery will be full of bumps, hidden curves and unmapped detours. The recent announcement that the U.S. jobless rate is currently 9.8% is evidence of this.

One thing is certain, if employees lose hope, the chance of success decreases. We all need hope in difficult times—a topic that is addressed particularly well in Richard Boyatzis book The Resonant Leader.  A USA Today review of the book describes the concept of hope as follows: “They cite research describing hope as charting a course of action on clearly articulated goals, believing the goals can be met and eventually reaching them with a sense of well-being.”

In other words, hope is built upon being able to envision and believe in a path towards achieving pre-established goals. Subsequently, SMART goals can act as a framework upon which to build hope.

Specific:

People need to feel in control during difficult situations. Well-crafted strategic plans and supporting goals that employees can believe in give these individuals a better sense of control over their financial future.

Measurable:

Success breeds success. Visible reminders of progress made are critical during challenging times. Just as important is the ability to change direction quickly if plans are not producing results.

Achievable:

Nothing dashes hope quicker than goals that are impossible to reach.

Realistic:

Goals must reflect the reality of the economic environment.

Timed:

Short time lines help ensure that small successes are not overlooked. Short time lines also allow goals to be modified quickly, if necessary.

References:

Mutikani, Lucia. U.S. jobless rate hits 26-year high of 9.8 percent. Reuters. [www.reuters.com]. October 2, 2009.

Rosenstein, Bruce. Resonant leader is one in tune with himself, others. USA Today. [www.usatoday.com]. November 27, 2005.