Five Easy Employee Goal Setting Tips

Many managers wince when they hear that it is time to set goals for its employees again. Some organizations make this annual (or semi-annual, depending on the group) event much harder than it has to be. If done right, setting employee goals is a great time for the entire organization to align itself for the coming months. Here are some easy tips that any organization can use when it is employee goal setting time:

1. Set goals which are truly meaningful to the organization: In order to ensure success for the organization, set goals that really will lead to the organization's success. This may sound simple, but sometimes managers set employee goals which do not clearly align with organizational success. For example, if the organization is looking to improve product quality by 50%, appropriate employee goals would outline the steps necessary to meet that overall goal.

2. Ensure that the employee goals are reachable: Nothing is more deflating to an organization than setting goals that can't be reached. That doesn't mean that the goals shouldn't stretch employees. Quite the contrary, meaningless goals can be just as bad, if not worse, than unreachable ones.

3. Give everyone ownership over something: Simply put, each employee should have ownership over his and her goals, and in turn some piece of the organization. This can (and should) be simple. For example, Bob owns the mailroom, which means that he is responsible for delivering the mail and keeping the mailroom clean.

4. Measure results on a regular basis: Some organizations only look at employee goals once a year. In order to maximize results, organizations should regularly look at employee goals and reset these based on business needs as necessary. Goals and results should be posted in a place for all to see so that all team members know who is responsible for each task.