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It's that time of year again--the time when many organizations are
hip deep in that ever-enlightening task of conducting performance reviews.
Flattened organizations, reduced budgets and manpower, and increased
demands for robust deliverables in ever-shortening timeframes mean that
today each of us must manage ourselves along with our participation
on teams. And successful self-management is wholly dependent on effective
goal setting.
Goal Setting: The Good Stuff
Effective goal setting grows out of a manager's and staff's shared
understanding of the department's central priorities. With goals that
are clear, achievable, and measurable, managers can use their own and
their staff's goals to focus on key business priorities. Likewise, staff
can hitch their wagons to their manager's goals and thereby help ensure
that every oar is in the water pulling toward the same destination.
Without goals, or with goals that are not well-crafted, managers and
staff alike often end up attending to less critical needs, eventually
finding themselves behind the eight ball when it comes time to justify
their continued existence within the organization.
The first step towards developing an effective goal is to identify
opportunities for growth and development within your department and
throughout your company. (Keeping a broad perspective when it comes
to finding chances to improve should be a goal in and of itself!)
As you begin your quest to seek out likely prospects for self-improvement
(which is the core of effective goal setting!) think about the following:
- What do you want to accomplish?
- Which of your needs could be addressed better? Which of your manager's
or your department's needs could be addressed better?
- How will addressing these needs contribute to the overall mission
or purpose of your department? How will addressing them enhance its
vibrancy?
As you think about the answers to these questions, highlight those
parts of each response that will contribute something positive to your
organization (things like increase profits, boost savings, increase
efficiency, reduce waste). Decide whether the goal you're thinking about
can be achieved. Focus on how quality or quantity will be improved if
you succeed in achieving your goal.
Next, confirm that your goal is not frivolous: There is no room for
risky, less-than-fully-substantiated ideas in today's environment. If
you can't directly tie your goal to advancing your department's core
work (and thereby the core works of your company!), your goal might
be out of touch with the real needs of your group, and you might even
be viewed as an obstructionist. For you to be successful in this phase,
you must understand what make your company successful and how senior
management and the competition measure that success. It might be profits,
or number of sales, or product quality, or depth of relationship with
customers, and so on. If you don't know, find out!
Once you're certain that your goals will contribute to the core mission,
follow these steps to help secure their advancement:
- Make your goals specific and measurable. List precisely what
will be different when you achieve your goal. Describe what success
will look like. When you can, use numbers to describe your goal's
results. For example, will it increase sales? If so, by how much?
Will quality improve? How will improved quality be demonstrated? Will
efficiency be enhanced? What metrics will bear this out?
- Don't develop goals in a vacuum. Make sure you have your
boss' support. (This step is easy if you've successfully performed
the first step!) Determine who else needs to buy in to your goal,
and work to collaborate with them—whether they are in your department
or elsewhere in the company. Confirm that achieving your goal will
not inadvertently conflict with someone else's goal. Identify areas
of possible conflict and work to reduce those potential barriers to
your success.
- Test the viability of each goal. Is it realistic? Is the
current climate in your organization going to support your achieving
it? Is the timing right for your idea to advance?
- Identify the resources required to achieve each goal. What
do you need to move ahead effectively? Who needs to contribute their
expertise?
- Set a realistic timeframe for each goal to be accomplished. Some
goals can be achieved within weeks of initiating them, and others
can take years. But without a stated timeframe, you won't know if
you've been successful in meeting your goal. (Remember: One component
of successfully achieving a stated goal is to do so in a specified
time frame that is meaningful to your organization.)
- Remain aware of organizational changes that will influence your
ability to achieve each goal. Make it a habit to review your goal
regularly to confirm that it is still relevant. This is especially
important for long-range goals that reach beyond one year. Don't become
so focused on your goal that you lose sight of changes in your organization
that could make your goal obsolete.
Goals provide direction and clarity in times that demand results. Realistic,
measurable goals that align with the overarching priorities of your
department and your company will yield outcomes that demonstrate leadership
and accomplishment.
Do you have a topic you'd like to see discussed in this column?
Send me an e-mail at thinking@dghenterprise.com.
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