Resolutions, goals, which one gets us to our desired state.

Here in January there is always talk of resolutions being made. A resolution being a decree or declaration to achieve a desired result. That achievement of a desired result would also be referred to as a goal to me met. Googling Resolution and goal in the same search yielded business articles that said, “Don’t make goals, make resolutions” as well as articles that said, “Set goals, don’t make resolutions.”

Resolutions are typically process related and imply a direction, e.g., you resolve to do something more or do something less. Typically their problem is that they are open ended with no assessment and reaction, good or bad. Goals are great, but they are almost always end point focused, e.g., setting a goal of losing 20 pounds, with no real determination or commitment on how to accomplish the goal, (the process involved.

 
The superior philosophy would incorporate both resolutions and goals. In essence making a resolution to achieve a goal, and then using the Plan-Do-Check-Act (PDCA) cycle to reinforce BOTH the process and goal, making adjustments as necessary to achieve the desired outcome.

 
We in industry have been using PDCA ever since Dr. W. Edward Deming introduced it back in the 50’s, but it seems the methodology kind of stops at the loading Dock. PDCA or PDSA (Plan-Do-Study-Act) is a tool that can be used in any business or home as a means of setting and achieving results. In other words, resolving to establish new goals and PDCA’ing your way to continuous improvement.