Objectives? Help!

SMART

Hi Drable

If you Google SMART you will find more info but this might also be useful as it is the guidance I am given when writing performance objectives…

General Guidance

Key objectives are cascaded from the top and aligned with "Company name" strategy and business plans
Managers share high level business plans with individuals to engage them in the objective setting process
Managers and their team members share an understanding of what their part of the business is trying to achieve and how they will each contribute to this
Both manager and employee participate in the process and objectives are agreed
For best practise, the SMART acronym should be considered when setting objectives (see overleaf for definitions)
A good mix of business aligned objectives and development objectives
The measures of performance are clear (deliverables, KPI’s, what will success look like)
Key actions and behaviours that will enable objectives to be achieved are considered at the outset including any specific training and/or development that is needed.
Ensure that these are included on Personal Development Plans (PDP)
Consideration is given to any problems that may occur in attaining the objectives, and actions to overcome these problems must be agreed
Objectives in general are Positive, Supportive, Motivational
Objectives should be reviewed regularly to track an individual’s progress (e.g. monthly) – use the PPP paperwork as a working document rather than only looking at it once or twice a year.
Regularly reviewing progress allows any issues or problems to be addressed immediately, particularly if the problem is preventing year end objectives from being met. It also provides an opportunity to reflect on what has gone especially well.

Objectives

Drable

Steve has covered most of it in his very helpful reply. I’ll just offer a small qualifier and some further tips.

Sometimes the business objectives are not as clear as they might be. Sometimes your boss is not clear what he or she is there to do, and is not clear with you either. And sometimes you find yourself in a job where the measurable outputs are not as obvious as they are in other jobs.

If this applies to you, don’t worry you are not alone. A good place to start is to ask yourself what is the ultimate business benefit of my role: why does this role exist. Then work back to identify what it is that you do that contributes to that outcome. Then apply the SMART principles that Steve has mentioned. Just sketch them out at this stage.

As a futher health check ask yourself:

– what is the most important thing I do?

– what is the most difficult thing I do?

– what is the most common or frequent thing I do?

– what else do I sometimes do, or perhaps should do, that really adds value and has an impact?

Now go back and refine your objectives. But do try and keep them to a manageable number (eg 3-5) ruling out those that are of lower priority. When you present them, write the most important/impressive one first and finish on the one that is most personal.

Best of luck

Graham

2 Responses

SteveRobson says:

March 25, 2011 at 10:32 am
SMART

Hi Drable

If you Google SMART you will find more info but this might also be useful as it is the guidance I am given when writing performance objectives…

General Guidance
- Key objectives are cascaded from the top and aligned with "Company name" strategy and business plans
- Managers share high level business plans with individuals to engage them in the objective setting process
- Managers and their team members share an understanding of what their part of the business is trying to achieve and how they will each contribute to this
- Both manager and employee participate in the process and objectives are agreed
- For best practise, the SMART acronym should be considered when setting objectives (see overleaf for definitions)
- A good mix of business aligned objectives and development objectives
- The measures of performance are clear (deliverables, KPI’s, what will success look like)
- Key actions and behaviours that will enable objectives to be achieved are considered at the outset including any specific training and/or development that is needed.
- Ensure that these are included on Personal Development Plans (PDP)
- Consideration is given to any problems that may occur in attaining the objectives, and actions to overcome these problems must be agreed
- Objectives in general are Positive, Supportive, Motivational
- Objectives should be reviewed regularly to track an individual’s progress (e.g. monthly) – use the PPP paperwork as a working document rather than only looking at it once or twice a year.
- Regularly reviewing progress allows any issues or problems to be addressed immediately, particularly if the problem is preventing year end objectives from being met. It also provides an opportunity to reflect on what has gone especially well.
User deleted says:

March 25, 2011 at 3:28 pm

Objectives

Drable

Steve has covered most of it in his very helpful reply. I’ll just offer a small qualifier and some further tips.

Sometimes the business objectives are not as clear as they might be. Sometimes your boss is not clear what he or she is there to do, and is not clear with you either. And sometimes you find yourself in a job where the measurable outputs are not as obvious as they are in other jobs.

If this applies to you, don’t worry you are not alone. A good place to start is to ask yourself what is the ultimate business benefit of my role: why does this role exist. Then work back to identify what it is that you do that contributes to that outcome. Then apply the SMART principles that Steve has mentioned. Just sketch them out at this stage.

As a futher health check ask yourself:

– what is the most important thing I do?

– what is the most difficult thing I do?

– what is the most common or frequent thing I do?

– what else do I sometimes do, or perhaps should do, that really adds value and has an impact?

Now go back and refine your objectives. But do try and keep them to a manageable number (eg 3-5) ruling out those that are of lower priority. When you present them, write the most important/impressive one first and finish on the one that is most personal.

Best of luck

Graham