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The most effective technique for setting goals is the SMART Goal setting process. This system allows team members to write clear goals that are Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time bound. Below outlines each step in the SMART Goal Setting system.
S — Specific. The clear objective needs to be as precise as possible. Avoid any ambiguities or confusion. For example, an employee can’t (and shouldn’t) simply be asked to ”increase sales”. Rather, a more helpful objective would be to improve sales of a particular product by a certain percentage in a given time frame. Objectives should also be stretching, or challenging, so employees are more motivated to achieve their goals. An example of Specific at Southern Industries may be, “increase close to issued rate for windows from 32% to 36% by the end of the fourth quarter.”
M — Measurable. A good SMART objective should always set out what success will look like.
Measurable goals give you something to measure goals against. This will make it easier to determine whether or not it has been achieved. The measure can either be quantitative or qualitative. Using the same example above, the measurement is quantified with, “from 32% to 36%.”
A — Achievable. Though it is important for team members to challenge themselves, objectives should all be realistically achievable. Unrealistic and seemingly impossible goals only serve to create a culture of failure — this is far from the motivational environment we are looking to cultivate at Southern Industries. If we examine the sample goal listed, increasing close to issued rate for windows 4% is an achievable goal. To ensure achievability, the objective should also be agreed upon between the team member and their manager, as well as in alignment with company objectives. Once there is agreement, the team member should take real ownership over their roles and seek to achieve the agreed upon goal.
R — Relevant. All performance objectives should be relevant to what the Southern Industries is trying to achieve. Without considering relevance, even objectives that are achieved may have no impact on the performance of the company, which flies in the face of what every effective performance management system aims to accomplish. The sample goal used above is relevant to the business objectives because it identifies close to issued rate, a core product of the company, and applies to increasing sales.
T — Time-Bound. Team members and managers should agree on set target dates for when objectives are to be completed. This introduces a sense of urgency and it also allows managers to determine whether or not a team member is on track to accomplish their personal objectives. Team members are encouraged to set ”near-term” objectives with a one-to-six month time frame, rather than year-long objectives. Near-term objectives can be achieved more quickly and are therefore more motivating. They are also less likely to become irrelevant as business needs change. Of course, short-term goals can also be used as “mini-milestones” to accomplish bigger goals. When examining the sample goal utilized, we can see that it is time-bound by setting the deadline to accomplish the goal as “the end of the fourth quarter.” This could also be a specific date.
We all get a sense of accomplishment when we have completed a task. This is why so many of us keep to-do lists and tick off activities as they are achieved. It makes us feel organized, productive and efficient. However, studies have shown this sense of accomplishment is greater — and our performance is higher — when we set ourselves particularly challenging goals. “Easy wins” simply aren’t as effective as a motivator. If the goals in question appear more difficult, we put more effort into completing them to standards and on time. Because of this, setting SMART goals that challenge us to reach higher performance is an exciting way to test limits and establish ourselves as contributors to the objectives of Southern Industries Home Improvement.
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