‘Hit The Target’

A few days ago, the Bureau of Customs, Ninoy Aquino International Airport District Office celebrated its 59th year anniversary. Under the leadership of District Collector Carmelita Manahan-Talusan, the BOC-Naia managed to achieve most of its monthly revenue targets as set by Customs Commissioner Rey Leonardo Guerrero by simply setting its sights to the bullseye, literally. Manahan-Talusan and her team bombarded the district office with all kinds of paraphernalia, such as coffee mugs, printed handouts, standee posters, shirts and even toilet stickers, with the mantra of the district: “Hit The Target” and the logo of a bullseye. The team even came up with monthly slogans, similar
to a marketing campaign, to emphasize the need for all team members to exert more effort to meet the revenue target.

This kind of visioning exercise has been proven effective and useful when driving a large-scale change or in strategic planning. All companies have revenue targets, key performance indicators, key result areas, or any other specific goal to measure performance. Without a numerical gauge, business leaders will have difficulty in setting a direction. Ideally, targets should be reasonable and realistic. Whenever there is a variance in the target, leaders can be creative to drive greater motivation. For instance, whenever our law firm exceeded a monthly profit target, our employees
get a share in the profit with a corresponding increase in the target for the succeeding month. In some companies, whenever targets are not met, blame should be the last resort. Those who set such targets must first assess whether adjustments should be made, taking into consideration the basis or assumptions in setting such targets. Unless missing the target is inexcusable, habitual, or due to factors beyond the control of the responsible unit, leaders should be mindful of what martial artist Bruce Lee once said, “A goal is not always meant to be reached, it often serves simply as something to aim at.”

At a personal level, we become what we think. We tend to follow the picture in our mind created by our influencers—parents, friends, communities, societies, but, most of all, ourselves. Thus, we must come up with a personal target, not necessarily quantifiable as in companies, to be able to visualize what we can become in the future. As we try to hit the target, we must come up with an image of our destination (foresight), a road map of the journey (insight), and the visual analysis of circumstances around us (oversight).

Foresight is looking ahead and connects us to our future. Author and Pastor Kris Vallotton says that foresight, like looking through a telescope, is the element of vision that gives us the motivational direction—something to aspire for. On the other hand, insight, like looking at things under a microscope, allows us to understand roadblocks in our path and helps us find ways around them. Finally, oversight, like seeing things from a satellite image, puts the vision in a larger context to know where we are in the journey in relation to the target and with everyone else’s. Thus, armed with a telescope, a microscope, and a satellite, becoming who we are based on the vision we made of ourselves can be accomplished with much greater confidence, knowing what lies ahead. Focus is provided by foresight; uneasiness is lessened by insight; contingencies are minimized because of oversight.

However, for believers, according to Vallotton, an eternal perspective (His sight) would complement a person’s foresight, insight and oversight. His sight, like seeing things with the instruction from the Spirit, can only be made possible if the vision is guided by His Word. Vallotton added, “when your vision is honestly birthed by God himself, He will be delighted to direct your steps.” In the Bible, Psalms 119:105, tells us, “Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path.” Companies led by servant leaders, such as Starbucks, Marriott and Nordstrom, have managed to inculcate values-based processes and ethical behavior to drive performance by incorporating Scripture-based principles in their human resources management programs.

At the BOC-Naia, while there have been months that the team was off the target, the morale of the people remains constant principally due to the visioning strategy of Collector Manahan-Talusan. BOC-Naia has always set its eyes on the prize—the revenue target. But, for all of us to hit our goals, in business or in our personal lives, we must not lose sight of the very purpose of hitting the target—becoming who we are based on our foresight, insight, oversight and, most importantly, His sight.