Out: SMART Goals; In: Fake Goals

Balance serious and not-so-serious goal planning

Author

Tyler Farley
May 24, 2024

When I posted on LinkedIn about this newsletter, my friend and fellow improviser Ella shared that she likes to incorporate the game: Real Goal / Fake Goal into meetings.

Today’s improv-game highlight is courtesy of Ella.

Real Goal, Fake Goal

You’ve heard of SMART goals, but have you heard of Fake Goals?

Before every improv show, we meet in the green room to get warmed up. Right before we go on stage, we take turns setting one real and one fake goal for the show. Example:

  • Real Goal: I will be an attentive listener and ensure that my team feels supported by me on stage.

  • Fake Goal: I will eat an entire footlong hot dog during the show without anyone in the audience noticing.

Tim Robinson sketch where he secretly eats a hot dog during a meeting

Goal of the game

  • By sharing your Real Goal, you are setting an intent for yourself. You are also reminding your team members that you are taking this seriously.

  • By sharing your Fake Goal, you are breaking tension and acknowledging any anxiety associated with going on stage. It reminds everyone that we are there to spread joy. If we are having fun, the audience is having fun. Let me reiterate:

“If we are having fun, the audience is having fun.”

How to play

  1. Everyone stands in a circle (can also work on Zoom)

  2. One person starts by saying 'My real goal is…. and my fake goal is….’

    • Note: Each person should get around 30 seconds max

  3. Go clockwise around the circle. Make sure you take a few seconds between people to acknowledge their goals.

Use Cases

  • Ending a Monday team meeting and setting intentions for the week

  • Getting people together before a workshop (+ you get to learn what people aspire to take away from the workshop)

  • Ending a project kickoff meeting

Time to play

3-5 minutes, but it can go longer if you have more people (including explanation)

Group Size

2-10 (it gets harder to share focus above 15 people)

As always — reply with any thoughts and questions! I want to hear from you 😀 

Tyler