• Home |
• About Us |
• Our Clients |
• Our Team |
• Contact Us |
• Testimonials

Managing Performance - Tops Tips for Setting Clear Personal Targets

The overall purpose of performance management is to maximise the contribution of individuals and teams to enable the organisation to achieve its strategies, and goals.

However, for performance management to succeed, it is vital that everyone in the organisation knows what’s expected of them. One way of clearly expressing what the organisation wants an individual to achieve is to set them personal targets (sometimes called objectives). Targets are analogous to a jigsaw puzzle. A single piece will not provide the whole picture, but once put together each target will help to deliver the organisation’s strategy.

However, targets need to be clear, and not ‘just do your best’. Unclear targets only serve to frustrate and de-motivate The following tips will help you to set clearer targets and ultimately get the most from your staff.

1. Targets should be SMART, which stands for Specific, Measurable, Agreed, Realistic and Timely.

2. Don’t think that you have to write targets using the ‘SMART’ sequence, just use the acronym as a checklist.

3. Targets need to be specific. What specifically do you want your staff to deliver? Do you want them to deliver improved performance, implement a new way of working, or perhaps improve their skills?

4. Measurable is probably the most important consideration. If a target is readily measurable then both the manager and the individual concerned will be able to easily demonstrate that the target has been achieved (or not!)

5. Realistic is linked to measurable. Usually, there’s no point in starting a job you know you can’t finish, or one where you can’t tell if/when you’ve finished it. How can you decide if it’s realistic? A target is realistic if:

? It is measurable
? Other people have done it successfully before.
? It’s theoretically possible. It might be tough but it is clearly not impossible.
? The individual has the necessary resources (time, money, equipment) and skills to deliver what s being asked.
? There are no other conflicting priorities. Too often targets are not delivered because the individual has a number of competing and/or conflicting priorities.

6. Timely means setting deadlines. You must include one, otherwise your objective isn’t measurable. When do you want the target to be complete by? However, it is important to note that deadlines must be achievable or the task is not realistic.

7. Agreed. If you want people to deliver their targets willingly, then they need to be bought into them, which means they need to be agreed with the individual.

8. The devil is in the specific detail. You will know whether your targets are SMART by asking someone else to review them. Can they readily understand them even though it is not their job or targets?

The key to successful performance management is to set clear expectations and SMART targets. By adopting the principles outlined above you will have a greater chance that your staff will understand and deliver what is needed, and that the organisation will ultimately achieve its goals.