Goals enable a staff member to act in a way that helps move the company forward. In this post, the team at JMF Associates provide a step-by-step guide you can use to set goals at work for your employees.

Step 1: Breaking Free of Inertia

For many managers the hardest part of setting goals is, well, setting goals. Most of us are experts at procrastination, and managers can sometimes be reluctant to prioritise goal setting for employees since they’re busy spinning so many other plates. So if we want to get serious about setting meaningful goals, the first step is to break free of the inertia that has overtaken us and bring goal setting right up towards the top of our to-do list.

Step 2: Understanding the Work Landscape

Before you can set goals for your employees, you need to understand the landscape you are operating in. Will a particular goal you have in mind bring you or your employee into conflict with others? Are there team constraints that make setting individual goals challenging? Once you understand the landscape you can devise a way to effectively navigate it.

Step 3: Consider the Goals Being Set in More Detail

Up until now, you've been getting the lay of the land. Now it's time to consider the goals you’re setting in more detail. Keeping in mind what you've learned about the work landscape, identify specific areas of opportunity and consider how your employees can address them to the mutual benefit of themselves and the organisation.

Step 4: Start at the End

The best way to set goals is to first envision the end result and then work backwards. For instance, envision yourself congratulating an employee for improving efficiency of a given business process by 10% - and then figure out how you can both get from where you are now, to that endpoint.

Step 5: Make Sure You’re Kept in the Loop

Once you have set some goals for your employee, it is important that they keep you in the loop. Be sure to check-in from time to time, so that you can ask about their progress and offer your input where needed.

Step 6: Employ the SMART Method

SMART doesn’t only mean avoiding obvious mistakes. It’s also an acronym for a proven approach to goal setting:

• S is for Specific: The goal should not be too loosely defined.
• M is for Measurable: There needs to be some way you can measure the success of your employee’s efforts.
• A is for Attainable: Is the goal actually achievable? Or is it a case of chasing rainbows?
• R is for Relevant: If attained, will this goal have a positive impact on the company?
• T is for Time-Bound: You’ll need to set a clear and realistic end date.

Take These Goal Setting Tips to Heart

By setting goals you will advance your employee’s skills while also improving the performance of the company. And if your goal is to hire the perfect finance professional to fill a vacancy, contact JMF Associates today by calling 020 8663 6699 or by emailing team@jmfassociates.co.uk.