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On the other hand, a worker might have responsibility for a function or logistical area, but is not be held accountable for bringing about the desired results. The fast-food worker might be assigned to resolve customer issues case by case, but have absolutely no reward or consequence for doing so. Initiatives may be launched and responsibilities allocated, but many times the individuals responsible for making the changes aren’t held accountable for meeting the objectives. Other changes occur, or more immediate requirements intervene, and the project slips on the agenda and then disappears. There’s no reward for making the initiative happen, and no penalty for not making it happen.

POWER POINTS

BEST PRACTICES BENCHMARKING

Benchmarking measures your company’s methods, products, and services against those of the leaders in your field to identify “best practices.” Benchmarking is a straightforward, chronological process:

Decide what to benchmark.

Determine whom to benchmark.

Collect data.

Analyze data.

Draft “best practices” for your organization.

Giving all employees the power and resources to make the successful outcome of a project one of their goals, and having them commit to a deadline, helps synchronize individual goals with those of the company. Holding employees accountable for achieving their part of the overall company goal makes it relevant to them.

BEST PRACTICES: ACHIEVING GOALS

Within your organization, the discipline of benchmarking—measuring your products, services, and practices against the high standards set by competitors or leaders in the field—can help you identify best practices. The “best practice” idea is that one particular method or process is the most effective way to accomplish something and the best way to achieve results. By identifying the most efficient procedures and applying them to current goals and objectives, individuals and teams can quickly show improvement.

To integrate this method of benchmarking into the goal-setting and performance management process, however, you need reliable, documented information about the whole range of your company’s internal practices.

First you need to evaluate specific aspects of your organization’s procedures in comparison to best practices outside your company. Second, you need to identify where your organization’s procedures fall short and decide how you can improve them.

Organizational benchmarking is a powerful management tool that overcomes the insidious “the way we do it is the best way, because that’s the way we’ve always done it” mindset. Benchmarking can inspire new methods, innovative ideas, and the creative use of existing tools. It can puncture resistance to change by showing the power of the alternatives used elsewhere. Sometimes such outside inspiration is needed to show how you can work smarter to achieve your goals.

MANAGING GOALS

“People with clear, written goals accomplish far more in a shorter period of time than people without them could ever imagine.”

—Brian Tracy,

business consultant

Once you master the art of setting goals for yourself and your employees, it’s critical that you learn how to manage those goals and create an environment in which you and your employees get results. Communication is essential to managing goals.

At every step in the process—setting goals, monitoring and encouraging progress toward meeting them, and finally measuring and rewarding success—you need to talk with and listen to your employees.

CREATING ACTION PLANS

Building and writing SMART goals are essential first steps, but execution—actually achieving those goals—is what is most critical. To help your individual staff members pursue their goals, you need to help them develop a vision of where they want to go—not only in the coming year but also in the long term. Then help them create an action plan to get there.

Dos & Don’ts

GIVE THEM ALL THE HELP YOU CAN

Setting goals is only the first step.