For individual employees as well as for teams as a whole, the ability to continuously set new, ambitious, and achievable goals is an absolute prerequisite for success. By striving to set our sights on new professional horizons, we lay the groundwork for our ability to acquire new skills and overcome future challenges. As managers, it’s our responsibility to take the initiative with goal-setting. In other words, it’s important for managers to be able to take the lead by setting goals that are both challenging and realistic so that our employees might be able to follow our example and do the same. In this way, our organizations as a whole will be able to make measurable forward progress.
In order for managers to be able to lead the way in this manner, it’s crucial that they have a strategy for goal-setting. With that in mind, this post will explore four tips that managers and their employees can use to set ambitious and achievable goals.
Goal Setting Tips for Managers and Employees
1. Establish goals that are S.M.A.R.T
- Specific. The more clearly that you’re able to define your aim, the more likely you’ll be to achieve it.
- Measurable. What is the metric that you will use to measure the degree of your success?
- Achievable. Need we say more?
- Realistic. Don’t be afraid to reach for the stars, but be sure that they’re actually within your reach.
- Time-constrained. The chances of success are always maximized under a deadline.
2. Aim for a work/life balance that you’ll be content with.
Professional goals are obviously important, but they’re not everything. At the end of the day, you should be aspiring to a professional position that you’ll be able to balance with your personal life in a way that you feel satisfied and comfortable with.
3. Know your motivation for each specific goal.
Understanding the why behind each goal is at least as important as figuring out the how. For any specific professional goal, you should have a clear understanding of your personal motivation for pursuing that goal.
4. Identify any potential obstacles standing between you and your goals.
When you’re considering the goals that you should be setting for yourself at this point in your career, ask yourself: what are the possible pitfalls that I could fall into or obstacles that I could be blocked by in pursuit of this particular goal? Understand that there will almost always be a degree of risk associated with any serious pursuit of a goal. Don’t let them deter you – assess the risks carefully and plan your strategy accordingly.
To learn more about how you can build a stronger workplace, contact us here.
