Setting goals is the focus of this installment of our guide to management.
Goal setting is one of the most important, but frequently overlooked, tasks in the workplace. However, by following a few basic guidelines, managers and employees can set and achieve goals that push themselves and their organization forward.
It is often assumed that employees are familiar with the goals of their employer. This is often not the case, yet they need to be clear on the goals in order to accomplish them. Scheduling regular meetings with employees to talk about the position of the company and upcoming goals can have a great effect on employee morale. Employees that are briefed on where the company is headed are more likely to be going in the same direction.
Managers and their employees should meet to formulate mutually agreed upon goals. Employees appreciate being involved during the setting of goals and more often than not accomplish set goals if they have had an integral part in setting them.
Merely setting a goal to improve sales does not do much to motivate the sales team. However, if the goal were to be to increase sales by 5% during the month of June, the goal is more focused and challenging. Goals needs to include amounts, times and dates. Being specific means an increased chance of the goal actually being achieved.
Should goals be established and then employees are never told if they have been achieved, the entire idea of setting goals becomes without credit. Management need to update employees continuously during the time specified for achieving a goal to let them know how near they are to achieving it.
Ensuring employees are working toward a common goal can be as simple as noting the goals down and posting them in a common area. Taking this a step further, managers could even plot the progress toward the goals. This is advisable because simply being made aware after the allotted time has elapsed that a goal was not reached does little to boost morale. - 29942
Goal setting is one of the most important, but frequently overlooked, tasks in the workplace. However, by following a few basic guidelines, managers and employees can set and achieve goals that push themselves and their organization forward.
It is often assumed that employees are familiar with the goals of their employer. This is often not the case, yet they need to be clear on the goals in order to accomplish them. Scheduling regular meetings with employees to talk about the position of the company and upcoming goals can have a great effect on employee morale. Employees that are briefed on where the company is headed are more likely to be going in the same direction.
Managers and their employees should meet to formulate mutually agreed upon goals. Employees appreciate being involved during the setting of goals and more often than not accomplish set goals if they have had an integral part in setting them.
Merely setting a goal to improve sales does not do much to motivate the sales team. However, if the goal were to be to increase sales by 5% during the month of June, the goal is more focused and challenging. Goals needs to include amounts, times and dates. Being specific means an increased chance of the goal actually being achieved.
Should goals be established and then employees are never told if they have been achieved, the entire idea of setting goals becomes without credit. Management need to update employees continuously during the time specified for achieving a goal to let them know how near they are to achieving it.
Ensuring employees are working toward a common goal can be as simple as noting the goals down and posting them in a common area. Taking this a step further, managers could even plot the progress toward the goals. This is advisable because simply being made aware after the allotted time has elapsed that a goal was not reached does little to boost morale. - 29942
