Make a Game Plan for Goal Setting

If your company is terribly efficient, you used the last months of 2012 to set goals for 2013.  I’m not referring to the business plan, I assume that process was completed before the leaves changed color.  What I am talking about is the annual exercise to set individual or team goals.  Given the typical 4th quarter press of business, my guess is this is now something you are just getting around to and, if that’s the case, I’ve got a few suggestions:

First, it is absolutely imperative that everyone in your organization, from the mailroom to the executive level, has a set of clearly articulated, quantitatively measurable objectives for the coming year.  And, it may seem like a blinding glimpse of the obvious, but everyone’s (or every team’s) goals should link to what the organization is trying to achieve, both financially and strategically.  This is important for a number of reasons: People need to have “that conversation” about goals and personal development (more on this later) with their immediate supervisor.  It provides them with a sense of belonging and is a clear demonstration that they are valued.  Additionally, such a discussion leads to better understanding of how individual performance contributes to company performance.  An understanding of this nature is a powerful motivator.

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