Setting goals together can be an extremely valuable exercise that allows you as a manager or supervisor to better understand your staff, while at the same time guiding them to improved performance, productivity and personal development. The most important thing to keep in mind when it comes to setting goals for your staff is that it is a collaborative process. By working together with your employees, you can ensure that their goals are in line with the overall objectives of the business.
The following are some of the types of goals you should set with your staff. When setting these goals, remember to use the SMART framework – all goals should be specific, measurable, attainable, relevant and timely.
Set Performance Goals
Work with your staff members to identify and set goals for performance improvement if necessary. While performance gaps should generally be addressed on an ongoing basis, the annual review can serve as an excellent time to ensure you and your employee are on the same page. Any performance improvement goals should be clear and specific so both you and the staff member can track their progress towards them.
Set Productivity Goals
Consider how your employee can improve their efficiency and accomplish more work within a specific timeframe. By setting a productivity goal, you are not only improving overall company productivity, you are also setting a measurable target for your staff to achieve. Having a specific, measurable target to work towards can encourage staff to be mindful of their output and improve the quantity of work they are completing.
Set Project Goals
Talk with your employees to determine if there are any short-term projects that need to be accomplished and set goals to complete them. For example, a project goal might involve improving an existing system, creating a new product or simply completing a task that your organization has been putting off for a while.
Set Growth Goals
Talk about your staff member’s goals for the future. Where do they see their career heading? What types of skills will they require to achieve this? Discuss potential goals related to training and knowledge advancement that will help them gain the skills they need to advance in their position. For example, if an employee would like to become a manager in the future, their goal might be to complete all components of your organization’s management training course before their next annual performance review.
Looking for more tips on setting employee goals and managing performance reviews? Take a look at the following posts from the Synerion Blog:
4 Tips for Managing Employee Performance Problems