Employee Goal Setting

Setting Goals with Employees

If you are setting goals that involve your employees,  here are some suggestions that will help you create successful goals that employees will feel motivated to achieve.

1. Involve employees in the goal-setting

One of the classic pitfalls supervisors stumble into is setting goals for their employees versus with their employees.  People want to contribute to the goals for which they will be help accountable.  Dumping your goals on employees without their input is a demotivator.  Have your employees create their goals with you.  You will be surprised at the level of commitment and personal ownership you will see.

2. Ask how the employee can accomplish the goal before you tell how.

Ask your employees for their ideas on how to accomplish the goal before you give your input.  If you get their input on how the goal can be accomplished, you may get some new, creative, and better approaches.  The key here, as with all good communication, is to listen.

3. Ensure the goal’s feasibility.

If you set a goal with your employees to have the departmental budget completed by the end of the month, you must make sure the employees have access to the tools and information they need to complete the task.  Set your employees up for success by ensuring they have what they require to do the job.  This goes back to making sure that the goal is realistic and attainable.

4. Make the goal challenging.

Tasks that are not challenging are not motivating. One of the most fundamental motivations for any employee, especially one who is basically competent at his or her work, is challenge.  Challenge creates motivation to achieve goals.  If you allow mediocrity to continue in your department, you are undermining your own success.

5. Ensure that the goal is relevant.

Most people do not want to accomplish a goal just for the sake of accomplishing a goal.  They want to understand the purpose or why they are doing a particular task.  Employees need to understand how the tasks they are doing are connected to the larger purpose of the organization.  People will extend themselves for work they see as important.  Make sure you take the time to explain the importance or relevance of the goal.  Remember, good goals are relevant.

6. Recognize success.

Make sure to recognize your employee’s success.  We all want to know that our work is acknowledged and recognized.  This does not take much time but will buy you a great deal.  Employees want to please
supervisors.  Take the time to acknowledge them with a written note, a pat on the back, or a simple “good job.” and you will have a cadre of loyal, hard-working employees.