By Flora Richards-Gustafson Updated April 09, 2019
In the workplace, goal setting helps keep employees motivated and focused and helps the operation run more efficiently. Good examples of goal setting in the workplace can range from professional growth to financial gains and should provide a vision and purpose for all involved. Workplace goals should be realistic, focus on making improvements, specific, measurable, and time specific.
Workplace Goal Preparation
Good workplace goals involve more than just saying you want to increase revenues, motivate employees or gain more clients. When preparing goals, be specific and realistic about your desires. For example, instead of saying you simply want to increase revenues, a good goal would state that you want to increase revenues by 10 percent. Adding the “10 percent” aspect to the goal helps make it measurable.
In order to make a goal clearer, include a deadline for each goal. As an example, you could state that you want to increase revenues by 10 percent by the end of the quarter. After identifying a goal, create action steps that will help you reach the objective.
Breaking Down Organizational Goals
Organizational goals are those meant to improve the structure of a business and company as a whole. It is helpful to break down large organizational goals into smaller ones to help make them appear less intimidating. For example, a goal can include improving the organizational development within a company by increasing employee trust and motivation, the sharing of company goals, creating a culture of support and encouraging employee growth.
Since organizational development is a large goal, break down the deadlines into immediate goals, short-term goals and long-term goals, and include action steps, as well as ways to measure the success of each.
Personal and Professional Employee Goals
To help employees have a sense of purpose in a company and feel motivated, it is important for each one to have personal, professional goals. It is common for employees to establish personal goals during an annual review, but the creation and review of ongoing and new goals can help increase an employee’s success. Employee goals can include earning a promotion, gaining more responsibilities, acting as a project manager, gaining more clients for the company or earning a company bonus. When an employee creates goals, her manager can show support by helping her develop action steps, creating deadlines and celebrating each victory.
Include Financial Goals
It is natural for workplace goals to include those related to finances. While creating short- and long-term financial goals, it is important to let employees know about the vision and create ways for each staff person to participate. A financial goal, for example, can include raising $10,000 for a charitable cause by donating 5 percent of the profits from every sale or increasing sales by 20 percent in order to prevent layoffs.
By communicating the importance of a financial goal and how the company will use the money, employees are more likely to make the company’s financial goal a personal goal. Make the action steps related to financial objectives ones that use and enhance employee talents and creativity.
As an expert in organizational development and workplace efficiency, I've spent years delving into the intricacies of goal setting in professional settings. My expertise is grounded in practical experience, having successfully implemented and overseen goal-setting strategies in various businesses. I understand the nuanced dynamics involved in keeping employees motivated, focused, and aligned with the overall objectives of the organization.
Now, let's break down the key concepts highlighted in the provided article on small business management and employee goal setting:
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Goal Characteristics:
- Realistic and Specific: Goals should be realistic and clearly defined. It's not just about wanting to increase revenues but specifying the percentage increase, like the example of wanting to increase revenues by 10 percent.
- Measurable: Including specific metrics, such as percentages or figures, makes goals measurable. This ensures that progress can be tracked effectively.
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Deadline and Action Steps:
- Time Specific: Goals should have a timeframe attached to them. For instance, aiming to increase revenues by 10 percent by the end of the quarter adds a temporal dimension to the goal.
- Action Steps: The article emphasizes the importance of breaking down goals into actionable steps. This involves creating a roadmap or plan that outlines the necessary actions to achieve the desired outcome.
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Organizational Goals:
- Breaking Down Large Goals: Large organizational goals can be intimidating, so breaking them down into smaller, more manageable objectives is crucial. The example given involves improving organizational development by focusing on aspects like increasing employee trust, sharing company goals, fostering a supportive culture, and encouraging employee growth.
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Personal and Professional Employee Goals:
- Annual Review and Ongoing Goals: The article suggests that employees should have both annual and ongoing goals. While annual reviews are common for establishing personal goals, continually creating and reviewing goals can enhance an employee's success.
- Managerial Support: Managers play a key role in supporting employees with goal development. This includes helping them set action steps, creating deadlines, and celebrating victories along the way.
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Financial Goals:
- Incorporating Financial Objectives: Financial goals are a natural part of workplace objectives. This can involve contributing to charitable causes, like raising $10,000 by donating a percentage of profits, or preventing layoffs by increasing sales. Communicating the vision and purpose behind financial goals is highlighted as a crucial aspect.
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Employee Engagement:
- Linking Personal and Company Goals: The article stresses the importance of employees seeing company goals as personal goals. Communicating the significance of financial goals and involving employees in the process enhances their engagement and commitment.
- Utilizing Employee Talents: Action steps related to financial objectives should leverage and enhance employee talents and creativity, ensuring that employees are actively contributing to the success of the company.
In summary, effective workplace goal setting involves a combination of specificity, measurability, time constraints, actionable steps, and the integration of personal and professional employee goals with overarching organizational objectives. This holistic approach ensures that employees are not only motivated but also actively contributing to the success of the business.
