Goal Setting

Making Your Goals S M A R T E R

Graphics courtesy of the Internet OrganizationsOpens in new window often rely on goals to motivate employees and clarify their role perceptions by establishing performance objectives.

Specifically, goal setting potentially amplifies the employee’s intensity and persistence of effort and channels that effort toward specific behaviors and outcomes.

Goal setting is more complex than simply telling a direct report to “do your best.” Effective goals derive from an organization’s vision, mission, and strategy and have several characteristics. One popular acronym—SMARTER— captures these characteristics fairly well:

S ⇒ Specific

Goals lead to better performance when they are specific.

Specific goals state what needs to be accomplished, how it should be accomplished, as well as where, when, and with whom it should be accomplished. Specific goals clarify performance expectations, so employees can direct their effort more efficiently and reliably.

M ⇒ Measurable

Goals need to be measurable because motivationOpens in new window occurs when people have some indication of their progress and achievement of those goals. This measurement ideally includes how much (quantity), how well (quality), and at what cost the goal was achieved. However, some types of employee performance are difficult to measure, and they risk being neglected in organizations preoccupied with quantifiable goals.

A ⇒ Achievable

One of the most difficult aspects of goal setting is developing goals that are sufficiently but not overly challenging.

Easy goals motivate employees far below their potential effort. Yet, goals that are too challenging may also lead to reduced effort if employees believe there is a low probability of accomplishing them.

It has also been noted that very difficult goals increase the probability that employees will engage in unethical behavior to achieve them.

R ⇒ Relevant

Goals need to be relevant to the individual’s job and within her or his control. For example, a goal to reduce waste materials would have little value if employees do not have much control over waste in the production process.

T ⇒ Time-framed

Goals need a due date. They should specify when the objective should be completed or when it will be assessed for comparison against a standard.

E ⇒ Exciting

Goals tend to be more effective when employees are committed to them, not just compliant. Challenging goals tend to be more exciting for most (but not all) employees because they are more likely to fulfill a person’s growth needs when the goal is achieved. Goal commitment also increases when employees are involved in goal setting.

R ⇒ Reviewed

The motivational value of goal setting depends on employees receiving feedback about reaching those goals.

Setting specific goals with your employees can be one of the simplest yet most powerful ways of motivating them. Like the SMARTER model, there are many ideas on how to set goals that motivate employees and here is a summary: