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When we set personal goals, the worthwhile goals are those that have clear value. It's the same in the workplace. The best employee goals are those that have value to the employee, because there is a force driving the employee toward reaching those goals. Setting goals for an employee is a collaborative partnership between the employee and the manager where both the employee and the organization benefit.

To be effective in setting goals, the manager should understand what motivates the particular employee. Some people are motivated by money, some by advancement and power, and some by personal pride and work ethic. If possible, the goals should be tailored and tied to these motivating forces. In that setting, here are seven tips in setting employee goals.

1. Tie goals to incentives. When the employee sees a personal benefit, they will be more likely to commit to achieving a goal. Benefit can take many forms, but it needs to be real. It should be evident to the employee that people in the organization who are difference-makers and achievers are the ones who are rewarded.

2. Goals should be realistic and make sense. Unreasonable or unachievable goals do little to improve the employee or the organization. A small set of specific, sensible, achievable goals is much better than a large set of vague, mushy, or unachievable goals. Each goal must clearly be associated with something the employee can control or influence.

3. Goals should make a difference. The employee should see that achieving a goal brings real benefit to the organization. The goal is relevant and affects the outcome of the organization's business or the employee's ability to contribute. People love to be a real contributor to a winning team. Be sure the goals satisfy that need.

4. Goals should be quantifiable or clearly discernable. If possible, each goal should be measurable. Obviously, there must be some way to determine if the employee meets the goal or at least makes progress toward the goal. The method of evaluating achievement or progress is part of the goal setting agreement between the manager and employee.

5. Goals should be integrated with the organization's shared vision. Every organization should have a shared vision, the brief statement of what success looks like. The employee's goals should be an integral part of the overall organization's way of doing business. The employee should feel that by accomplishing the goal, the organization will benefit. This fosters the "team spirit" while still motivating the employee from a personal standpoint.

6. Goals should be done in partnership. Often an employee goal requires action from the manager. Goals are a partnership where the manager helps the employee make improvements, and the employee helps improve the organization. Setting goals is a joint activity where the employee and the manager both commit and are "bought in" to achieving the goal.

7. Goals should be documented, taken seriously, and tracked. The goals are a mechanism for improvement and advancement for the employee and the organization. If an employee senses that the goals are not taken seriously, then it is unlikely they will expend any effort to achieve them.

Goal setting is a tool that managers can leverage to bring improvement to employees and to the organization. By applying these seven principles, the manager can make the goal-setting tool more effective, and it can become a focal point of performance evaluations. The best organizations are those where the employees look forward to their performance assessments, because they know they have succeeded. They met the goals that were set for them and are anxious to talk about it.

Learn more about this author, David Pitts.
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