Business Goals are Moving Targets

Think of your business goals as moving targets. Like shooting ducks at a carnival booth. Be sure you really want them before you get specific goal-oriented. Sometimes they don’t turn out to be what you expected.

“Three tries for a dollar,” shouted the sleazy midway huckster over the din of the crowd. “Shoot a duck and win this giant gorilla.” I eyed the rows of yellow plastic ducks as they swam back and forth across the plywood ocean at the back of the booth.

So I dug deep into the front pocket of my jeans and pulled out my last crumpled bill. It barely hit the counter before the man with greasy hair snatched it up. I raised the gun, sighted down the barrel and followed a duck across its path, and pulled the trigger. The shot was three inches too high because my gun didn’t shoot straight. So this time I dropped my aim three inches, but the shot hit the wave crest behind the duck. It had moved forward by the time my shot reached it. I only had one more try.

The first part of goal oriented is knowing why.

Needing to compensate for both the aim of the gun and the motion of the duck, I aimed three inches down, and a couple of inches in front of a target. Whamo! I had successfully hit the moving target and won the gorilla. Momentarily exhilarated, I noticed the gorilla must have been stuffed with moldy sawdust. It smelled like a real gorilla. I threw it away on the way out of the carnival.

Since my childhood, it has occurred to me that everything I strive for is a moving target. I always have to adjust my aim to compensate for the movement of the target and the error of the shot. Sometimes, however, my successes don’t bring the rewards that I expect. Some goals aren’t even worth the effort.

That lesson from childhood still holds true.