Rebecca Scoot,
(CEO of STREAT)
Find out how they do it in the first of our series of goal-setting habits of successful people. In this edition we feature Rebecca Scoot, CEO of STREAT, a Melbourne-based social enterprise addressing youth homelessness.
Do you set goals?
I always start with the problem I want to solve. I particularly like trying to solve seemingly intractable social issues. Then I make a really audacious goal that scares the living daylights out of me.
I always find that these big goals drive my most creative thinking. And invariably this approach always ends up with you achieving more than you’d originally hoped to.
Do you check in on your goals regularly?
Absolutely. At STREAT we have a range of metrics and a dashboard in three impact areas: People, Planet & Performance. We update weekly and monthly which helps us pick up fast when we’re off track. Though naturally many of the metrics we track for a young person’s wellbeing change more gradually and require years of longitudinal measurement.
My personal goal is to catalyse the maximum amount of positive social change I can in my lifetime. That’s more intuitive to track and often I’m testing a bunch of ideas through side projects I’ve got on the go. Part of my measure of success with catalysing change is seeing how many of these ideas can move from being side projects to full scale STREAT projects.
How do you make a plan to reach your goals?
I always start by getting loads of research about the future and then trying to imagine how it feels to be living in the coming 10-50 years. I’m trying to imagine what interventions we can make today that could change the course of that history for those most disadvantaged during that time. And then it’s a matter of trying to work backwards and doing a more general 10 year plan and very detailed three year plan.
How do you stay motivated to reach your goals?
I have no problem staying motivated! The problem of youth homelessness and disadvantage is so big that I never lack motivation. It’s endlessly complex and requires a high degree of creativity to address it. My biggest challenge is trying to be patient. I tend to sprint when doing things and everything feels like it happens too slowly. I work best when I have amazing operational people around me and I can get out of their way and not dabble in the detail.
How do you celebrate when you reach a goal?
I’m a letter writer. I like writing personal notes to thank people. When I see amazingness, big or small, I always try to notice it and say thanks as it happens. And for the really big stuff, we get together and celebrate as a team.
Is there one goal that particularly stands out for you?
The most important goal at STREAT is that young people feel they belong here. It’s easier to get a young person a house, or a qualification, or detoxed, or help with their mental health, but it takes far longer for a young person to feel safe, or loved or like they truly belong. We track a young person’s sense of belonging through a range of ways and we have a target of 95% of young people feeling they belong here. The last couple of years we’ve achieved 100% and that’s what makes me feel most proud of our people and the amazing work they do.
We’re here to help
Reaching your goals doesn’t happen by chance, and most of us need help to plan for them. So whatever your goal and wherever you’re at, we’ll help you explore, plan, track and realise your goals for a better tomorrow.
Speak to us today to book your Goals Exploration session.
STREAT is a Melbourne-based social enterprise focused on stopping youth homelessness and disadvantage. It gives people sustainable livelihoods in food and hospitality and runs four cafes, an artisan bakery, a coffee roaster and a catering business.
