How to Set Goals that get Results
Cathie Leimbach • May 12, 2021
Goals are important. They are at the core of uniting all members of the team around a common purpose. They motivate and inspire. Goals also prompt employees to plan and provide guidance on which projects they should spend time on completing. Finally, they create the foundation for evaluating each employee’s performance. But, as necessary as goals are, they are not all created equal.
- Only 20% of people set goals. And 70% of them fail to achieve the goals they set. Here are the reasons why goal setting often fails:
- A lack of motivation to change
- Fear of failure
- Goal setting processes are confusing and too narrow
- Analysis paralysis where your employees overthink everything.
There are five solid principles to effectively setting goals that get results:
- Start with the end in mind. Then, embrace and feel invested in the result. For example, exceeding sales goals might result in your employee receiving a big bonus check and that shiny new convertible they have been eying. Understand the steps and push a little beyond what is expected and comfortable.
- Make sure that your employees are included in the goal setting. Unfortunately, less than 40% of employees are very involved in their goal setting. Providing ownership increases buy-in and accountability. Strong leaders don’t push goals on their team. Instead, they work together to craft plans in alignment with company objectives.
- Track goals consistently. You can’t improve what isn’t measured. When goals aren’t tracked, they are worthless.
- Make goals visible throughout the organization. Nearly 40% of employees say they cannot see the goals being set throughout the organization. This inhibits collaboration and reduces awareness of progress.
- Review and revise goals. Neither business nor goals are static. One key component to set effective goals and improve performance is to look back and ask “what worked, what didn’t” and “what can we learn to improve our performance.”
A goal without a plan is just a wish. Coaching and empowering your employee to set goals starts with a conversation. Consider these steps:
- Ask your employee what specifically he wants to accomplish.
- Discuss how Important it is by asking:
o How important is this goal to you, on a 1 to 10 scale?
o What makes this goal important to you?
o On a 1 to 10 scale, how high a priority is this goal for you?
- Measure the end result and what is involved in getting there by evaluating and identifying:
o When it will be achieved. Ask, “when would you like to accomplish this goal? Please provide me with a date.”
o Where is your employee currently towards achieving the goal? “Where are you today in your efforts to achieve this goal?”
o What actions need to be taken. “What specific tasks and activities will you need to complete to achieve your goals.”
- Explore if it is realistic. “With everything else on your plate is it realistic for you to set and pursue this goal now?”
Empowering your employees to go from thinking about it to doing something about it will improve overall performance, keep your employees engaged and they will help to meet your organization’s goals.
Interested in learning more about effective goal setting? Reach out for a 20-minute breakthrough session!
Tammy was furious. For the third day in a row, the hydraulic hose assembly line was falling behind. How could they keep customers happy when production was this slow? The target was 50 hoses per hour, with at least 98% meeting quality standards. Yet, after two hours, Tom's team had produced only 65 hoses, and six had failed inspection. Tammy marched over to Tom, the line supervisor. “This is unacceptable! You know our targets. Get your people moving!” She stormed off, frustrated and worried about falling further behind. Tom felt embarrassed and discouraged. He told his team to work faster. An hour later, production was still behind, and more hoses had failed inspection. Leadership Tip – Correct Kindly, Solve Problems Together Corrective action doesn't need to be harsh. A calm, respectful conversation can improve both performance and trust. Clarify the gap. Remind the employee of the agreed expectation and describe what you've observed. “Tom, our target is 50 hoses per hour, with 98% meeting standards. Your team produced 65 in two hours, and six failed inspection.” Explore causes and solutions together. Ask, “What's getting in the way?” Listen carefully. Perhaps a crimping machine needs adjustment or a new employee needs coaching. Ask, “What could we do differently? How can I help?” Agree on next steps. Ask Tom to summarize what he'll do. State what you'll do to support him. Agree on when you'll review progress. Bottom Line Kindness doesn't mean lowering expectations. It means helping people meet them. Conversation is Where Leadership Happens™ Be kind. Be clear. Hold people accountable. Have a conversation you’ve been putting off because you don’t want to sound harsh—or let the issue slide? Bring it to the Workplace Conversations Clinic on November 16 to discuss addressing the problem with kindness, setting clear expectations, and agreeing on next steps. Reserve your spot for the November 16 Workplace Conversations Clinic → HERE
“The same production line’s data is late again,” someone said. “Are we just supposed to keep begging for it?” Maya looked up. Two employees had stopped their own work to help track down the data missing from the weekly report to headquarters. She knew there had been delays. She hadn’t paid attention to how often or what happened when the data came in late. Each Friday, John sent the report out, and Maya moved on. Her team hadn’t moved on. They were tired of disrupting their own work to address the same problem week after week. The Symptom Late work. Repeated mistakes. People asking why they should bother when others don’t do their part. When there is a pattern of leaders letting missed deadlines slide, employees notice. Silence can leave people thinking that missed commitments are acceptable, even when that isn’t what the leader intends. Monitoring performance gives leaders a clearer picture of what is happening—and something specific to discuss with those involved. The Tip Here are three steps to noticing problems and sharing your performance concerns. Track the data. Look at information tied to the work, such as deadlines and errors. Maya could track how often data for the weekly reports arrived late. Walk around. Spend time where the work happens. Notice what people are doing and how one person’s work affects another’s. Maya saw two employees put their work aside to finish someone else’s task. Share what you find. Bring the facts and your observations to the attention of the person involved. Maya could say: “Your weekly production data was submitted late three of the last four weeks. Today, I saw Lee and Sam stop their work to get the raw data and do the analysis.” That makes it clear to the employee that submitting data late is not acceptable. Conversation is Where Leadership Happens™ Is there a pattern at your workplace that you’ve noticed but haven’t addressed? Join our Workplace Conversations Clinic on November 16 to discuss addressing performance concerns. Bring a situation you’ve been letting slide. Reserve your place HERE
