Hi there,

Happy New Year!

If you're like most managers right now, you're setting goals for your team. You're being intentional. You're thinking strategically. You're making them SMART.

But here's what I've noticed after working with hundreds of managers: most of us are actually setting SMT goals.

Specific? ✓

Measurable? ✓

Timed? ✓

But the Achievable and Realistic parts? They kind of... slip through the cracks.

And I get it. You've got that can-do attitude. Deep down, your instinct might be whispering "I'm not sure about this" but you go with it anyway. Because that's what good managers do, right?

Except this tends to happen... three months from now you're in a meeting trying to explain why you're off track. Your team's frustrated. And those goals that looked do-able in January are starting to feel tricky.

The problem isn't the individual goals.

Each one looks completely doable on its own. The problem is when you layer them all up – when you see them in the round – you've just asked your team to deliver 150% of their capacity.

I think of it like a bucket. There's a finite amount of people, time, and money you have. And for years now, leaders have been adding more and more into that bucket. And people have to absorb it.

And if you're a middle manager? You're feeling it from both sides. Pressure from the exec to hit those goals. Pressure from your team who are already stretched thin. It's what I call the squeezed middle.

So here's my question for you: What if there was a way to spot this before it becomes a problem?

What if, instead of spending the year on the back foot and explaining why things are slipping, you could start the year with total clarity on:

• What's actually achievable given your team's capacity
• Where the hidden bottlenecks are lurking so you have time to solve them
• Which cross-functional conversations you need to have NOW (not in three months when it's too late)
• How to build accountability into the work from day one

That's exactly what the GPS framework does. It's a simple template that helps you bring rigour to your thinking upfront, so you spot the challenges before you bump into them.

And here's the best part: when you do this work in January, it makes your life so much easier for the rest of the year. You're not constantly reacting. You're not dreading status update meetings. You actually have time to lead.

I made a video walking you through exactly how this works.

Watch: Why Most Managers Set Goals Wrong (and what to do instead)​

It's 13 minutes that could genuinely change how your year unfolds.

Because one thing is for sure, you're capable of brilliant leadership. But you can't lead if you're constantly firefighting.

This framework gives you back that space.

Here's to a brilliant 2026.

Helen

P.S. The GPS framework is just one part of Manager OS – your complete operating system for leadership. It's how you reclaim your time and finally lead the way you know you're capable of. If you want to find out more about the full system click here.​

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