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For Managers

Managing your staff is a continuous cycle of goal-setting, coaching and feedback, evaluation, and reward. When you set goals, decide on a strategy to achieve them, and agree on milestones along the way, you are establishing standards for measuring competency, the development of skills, and other aspects of your workers’ on-the-job performance. Through goal-setting, you can involve employees in the organization’s strategic direction, motivate them to perform at a higher level, and encourage continuing communication.

Goal-setting and goal management have other benefits. If you and your employees establish and manage goals, then formal performance reviews generally will be better experiences. Having specific and measurable goals eliminates much of the subjectivity from the evaluation process, and with it any sense of unfairness.

Goals become the standards for measuring performance. Then, the formal review—which should no longer have many surprises—is a good opportunity for you and your employees to evaluate their recent work. If employees are achieving their goals, you can reward them. For many employees, the knowledge and growth that result from stretching to reach goals are rewarding in themselves.

Self-Assessment Quiz

YOUR OWN PREPARATION FOR GOAL-SETTING

Read each of the following statements and indicate whether you agree or disagree. Then check your score at the end.

I fully believe goal-setting is the basis for success in performance improvement.

• Agree • Disagree

I know I can help my team with their goals, but I can’t tell them what their goals are.

• Agree • Disagree

We can’t move forward without having a thorough knowledge of the company’s strategy and objectives, even though they are a moving target.

• Agree • Disagree

Employees know they can come to me when they feel things are slipping and get real help.

• Agree • Disagree

Dreams are part of goal-setting.

• Agree • Disagree

My team never worries about surprises at appraisal time.

• Agree • Disagree

It’s important for me to get—and stay—up to speed on industry trends.

• Agree • Disagree

My people don’t feel a big need to participate in the office grapevine.

• Agree • Disagree

Goal-setting is a negotiation.

• Agree • Disagree

My employees are individuals with distinct styles, and I need to approach goal-setting with that in mind.

• Agree • Disagree

Scoring

Give yourself 1 point for every question you answered “Agree.”

Analysis

8–10

You have the potential to be highly successful in helping your team set and achieve their goals.

5–7

You could use some work setting goals for you and your team.

0–4

You still have a lot to learn about goal-setting and performance management.

For Individuals and Teams

When employees are working toward a goal, every day has a mission. Their self-confidence grows as they recognize their ability to take control of their situation—and to reap rewards from their team and their organization for their accomplishments. The satisfaction they derive from this personal growth keeps them energized and motivated, fresh and productive.

POWER POINTS

THE POWER OF GOAL-SETTING

Goal-setting is an indispensable tool that gives shape and direction to the work of an individual employee, as well as to a department and organization.

It allows an organization to track short-and long-term objectives.

It provides a framework for stating what the individual wants to achieve and what the organization expects from the individual.

It focuses employees and managers on planning for the future.

It inspires people to action.

For Organizations

The benefits of setting goals extend not only to individual employees and to you as their manager, but also to your division or organization and its bottom line. This is especially true when individual goals align with organizational goals in response to the realities of the company’s industry and marketplace. When everyone in an institution is committed to these