How to Effectively Set Goals for Your Employees

A key responsibility for every manager is setting effective and attainable goals for their employees. This is very important to the success of both the employee, the team, and the company as a whole.

When managers set effective goals for their employees, there are a few key benefits:

• Helps create short-term focus to go in line with the company’s strategy
• Lays the foundation and guidelines to performance reviews and bonus programs
• Fosters a deeper relationship with your employees

To get the most benefit from setting goals for your employees, follow these four suggestions.

Align With Company Objectives

Just like each department and every employee should be working in line with the company’s mission, the goals you set for your employees should be aligned with the overall company objectives as well. Not only should you create the goals to align in this way, you should communicate how it ties together. Employees want to feel a part of something greater than just themselves, and this will help your employees stay focused and motivated, even in difficult times.

Set SMART Goals

Avoid setting goals that tell an employee to “do better.” This example is vague and leads to missteps. Either the employee misunderstands the goal and works towards something different than what was intended, or they feel so confused they just don’t change their work behavior to move towards the vague goal.

Set goals that include these criteria:

S – Specific

Goals are clear and specific.

M – Measurable

Progress can be tracked, making it motivational and meaningful for the employee.

A – Achievable

Goals are attainable, but also push the employee a bit beyond their comfort zone.

R – Realistic

Be sure to set goals that are relevant to the employee’s job responsibilities or projects.

T – Time-based

It’s important to make deadlines for each goal.

Emphasize the Attainable

Setting attainable goals is key for success. Both the manager and employee should agree that their goals are attainable in order for greater success. One way to consider whether a goal is attainable is to look at previously set goals. If the same goal in question was not achieved with circumstances being the same, it should be revised to make it more attainable.

An attainable goal will also help motivated an employee to get to work. An unrealistic goal crushes motivation before they even begin, and it only decreases as progress stalls.

Reward Employees

Rewarding employees who meet or exceed their goals is not just a nice thing to do. First of all, rewarding your employees will build morale and keep them motivated. It also sends a message to other employees that you take their goals seriously and for some, realizing there are rewards involved might be the extra push they need to work harder towards their goals.

Be the Leader and Manager Your Employees Need

The professionals and MS-IL Staffing & Packaging can mentor and help you become an even better manager for your employees. Lead your team to greater success and contact us today.