EFFECTIVE GOAL SETTINGThere are several very simple – yet extremely effective – management tools that many executives aren’t aware of.SMART goal setting is one of them. About two thirds of the managers that I have worked with didn’t know about this tool when first I started working with them – the goals they were setting for their direct reports and for themselves weren’t effective. This is why I decided to talk about SMART goal setting in this issue. When you set goals, all you have to do is to make sure your goal meets all five criteria as in SMART. SMART stands for Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Time bound. Specific: What do you need to accomplish? What is the outcome you need to achieve? Is it clear to others what you are trying to achieve? Measurable: What are the performance targets that you are aiming for? How will you know that the goal has been met? What are your quantitative or qualitative measures that you can use to help you know when you will have reached expected results? Attainable: Do you have all the necessary resources to attain this goal, despite all the foreseeable obstacles? Is the goal challenging enough to help your people grow, yet realistic? You don't want a goal that is too easy, nor do you want an impossible goal. Relevant: Are the goals directly related to the business goals? Do they address key customers (internal and/or external) requirements? Time bound: Do you have regular dates set up to review your progress? How long will it take you to achieve this goal? Make sure all your goals are SMART – not setting SMART goals is a primary cause of low performance. Recent Past issues: Have outstanding employees Comments? Ideas? Feedback? I’d love to here from you, just reply to this e-zine and tell me what you think. See you next month! |
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