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Engagement Tips for Managers Part 3: Popular Employee Goal Setting Tips

Setting performance goals or objectives is often an integral and important aspect of a performance appraisal system. But ensuring that these goals are appropriate and effective is crucial for effective performance management.

Here are several processes and components that should be followed to help make these performance goals as meaningful and useful as possible:

Development Begins with

Communication

The employee should be prepared to discuss what they want to accomplish. The manager should be prepared to discuss company goals

and initiatives. The manager and employee can then meet to discuss what goals are most appropriate for the employee.

Use the ‘SMART’

Model

Goals should have the following elements:Specific (should clearly state what is to be accomplished),

Measurable (success should be able to be measured/evaluated), Attainable (should be challenging, yet realistic),

Relevant (should have a direct link to organizational goals), Timely (should have timelines to provide due dates and milestones)

How to Measure Success

Timeliness – is the employee performing within time constraints?Quality – is the employee producing work of good quality?

Quantity – how much work should be expected?Financial – is the employee making efficient use of funds and revenue?

Goal-Setting Challenges to

Overcome

Ensuring consistency among managers – managers need to be sure that there are not widely different expectations for individuals in

similar roles.

Ensuring goals are within employee control – care needs to be taken to ensure that accomplishments are achievable…

Goal-Setting Challenges to

Overcome

Testing out relevant impact of different team members – in some

situations, individual goals are not meaningful.

Environments where the work is unpredictable and dynamic – Both managers and employees need to be flexible and willing to make

changes to goals as things evolve.

Setting effective goals is itself a demanding exercise. But with care and collaborative effort, a manager and employee can identify meaningful and challenging goals that not only further the interests of the company but also help the employee.

A key part of employee goal setting is checking back in to monitor progress, coach improvement and see if the change you’re making with your employees is having the desired impact.

Download the 5 questions you should never ask your employees!

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