Setting Achievable Goals For Your Employees

Sharon Boyd has nearly 25 years of experience between both the healthcare and marketing industries. In addition to being an RDH and content writing expert, she also holds a degree in business. Her responsibilities primarily include tackling the communication barriers between small business owners or healthcare providers and their prospective clientele.

Setting Achievable Goals For Your Employees

Having a successful company is truly the ultimate goal for any business owner, manager, or leadership team. As an owner or manager, you oversee the production process and all its parts, making sure it is effectively moving toward that goal.

But on the flip side, your business could fall short of its milestones if you have not ensured that each person within your team shares the same vision. Team members need to see the direction the business is headed and understand their role in making it successful.

Alignment of Goals

Aligned goals need structure and ought to involve employees from start-to-finish. Supporting each other toward the same objective creates a stronger company inside and out. In turn, businesses can execute strategies faster.

The S-M-A-R-T-E-R Guide

One way to help your employee’s implement their goals is to assist them in working S-M-A-R-T-E-R, not harder.This framework gives clarity to specific objectives and will help keep your team focused and organized with their time and resources.

  • Specific: Informing the employee on what they need to know.
    • What they will be working on?
    • Why it is important?
    • Who is involved in the process?
    • Where is needed?
    • How to use their resources?
  • Measurable: Measuring progress will track your employees’ milestones.They should address things like:
    • How much time will it take?
    • How much will it cost?
    • How soon is it needed?
  • Attainable: Goal should be realistic. What is one thing you can do now, today, to take one step forward?
  • Relevant: Is the task in line with the goal at hand? Does it match the efforts needed to accomplish it properly?
  • Time-Bound: Give enough realistic time to achieve the goal, but not much more. Goals without deadlines tend to get lost in the day to day.
  • Evaluating your goals each day keeps you on top of your steps, creating a habitable workflow that increases the chances of achieving your vision.
  • Review (periodically) your method of approach toward your goal. If you find yourself continuously hitting a brick wall, then re-adjust your plan.

Performance and Development Goals

Using the SMARTER framework to invest in your employee’s development is a win-win. Not only does it create an opportunity for your employees to set personal goals to reach their full potential within your business, but when employees are able to move up in the company, they are more likely to stay.It benefits team members and your company alongside one another.

Encourage your team’s #1 goal to be their performance, by setting short-term objectives that allow them to fulfill specific job positions. #2, have them work toward personal growth and development, which contributes both to a new skill set (for a new position one day) as well as furthering the efficiency of your company.

Setting achievable goals for your employees does require practice, patience, and refinement. You might not get it perfect the first try. But in the end, it boosts motivation and gives your team a sense of importance. Mostly because they are kept aware of your company’s vision and can see they are contributing to the ultimate goal of the business.