Best Manager Conduct in Setting Goals for the Team

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Setting challenging and achievable goals enable high performance. It isn’t easy, but managers must have the right balance to anticipate the right timelines versus what is truly achievable.

But chaos results when managers set unrealistic goals. Ramifications include higher stress, employee burnout, morale issues, and constant fear of failure. Not to mention hurting the reputation of managers.

Managerial ambition is desirable. So is pushing employees to achieve their full potential. But it isn’t OK to push too hard or to overwhelm the staff. So, avoid the missteps that result in employee turnover, poor morale and burnout.

Setting realistic goals

Managers fail to set realistic goals when the outcomes are not achievable or practical in a time-frame that’s too short. Setting challenging goals for top performers can be realistic. But it’s a difficult tightrope to set goals for a new employee with whom you don’t have a history of success.

Timing is important. You must allow enough time for analysis and making needed improvements.

Taking a holistic views of all factors is necessary: Analyzing your staff’s competencies and making an accurate assessment of your business environment especially in an uncertain economy.

Managers fail when they don’t set realistic goals because they’re only focused on the desired outcome and not mastering the processes needed to achieve the goals. Managers need to know their staffs’ abilities in their workplace environment.

Why managers are unrealistic

Typical reasons why managers fail to set realistic goals:

1. When a manager sets goals that are too high, it’s usually because of unrealistic expectations.

2. It’s poor management not to accurately analyze the at-hand resources needed for success.

3. It’s also unfortunate when managers over-estimate the abilities of their employees.

4. Poor communication with employees leads to failure. For example, employees who fear a reprimand often fail to speak up when they know goals are impossible to achieve.

5. When employees don’t realize the goals are achievable, sometimes they blame themselves as failures and they quit their jobs.

All of these situations cause stress, burnout, a demotivated team, poor morale and employee turnover.

Encourage employees to speak up

Open communication and trust are paramount. Before setting goals, meet with your employees. Reassure them their input are always appreciated, and you won’t punish them if they tell you goals are unattainable.

With employee buy-in, you’ll have productive communication and you’ll be able to set realistic future goals.

Performance reviews

Before making any major decisions, look at your employees’ most-recent performance reviews. Checking their performance reviews will remind you what your employees will be capable of achieving.

It’s possible your employees will need more training to learn new skills before embarking on new goals.

Solutions to prepare for success

Embark on processes to improve your organization and to benefit your employees. Focus on better engagement with your employees. With heightened engagement and collaboration with your staff members, you’ll enjoy higher employee performance and continuous improvement.

Strategies to employ:

1. Identify your employees’ skill shortages. Check your employee social-media profiles for insights about their personalities, ask open-ended questions of your employees, listen carefully to their answers and closely monitor their performances.

2. Analyze your team’s capabilities as a unit to cope with workloads.

3. Implement training for individuals to solve gaps in skills.

4. Once each person receives training to improve skills, launch teamwork training for everybody in a classroom setting to improve collaboration.

5. To realistically set goals, use the acronym, SMART —

Specific — It will be easier for your employees to achieve goals, if you clearly and specifically define your goals.

Measurable — Develop excellent ways to measure success of each step.

Attainable — Make certain each goal is realistic and attainable.

Relevant — Don’t get off track. Each goal should be aligned with your business objectives and overall values.

Time-bound — Set and adhere to realistic deadlines.

Conclusion

Learn and use these principles in order to set challenging and realistic goals. Your employees will enjoy higher morale and motivation while minimizing stress. Your organization will improve to higher levels of efficiency and productivity.

Such success will also add to your outstanding reputation as a manager. Good luck!

From the Coach’s Corner, here are additional management tips:

Tips for Productive Meetings to Improve Performance — Here’s a checklist to engage your employees in energetic, inspiring staff meetings that will increase profits.

HR – Components of a Personal Improvement Plan — With employees who perform unsatisfactorily, it’s time to take action. To give them opportunities to succeed, the customary tactic is a PIP. Here’s how.

HR and Managing the Behavioral Health of Your Employees — Published reports indicate mental health issues are impacting the productivity of the workplace. Google the term, workplace mental health. You’ll likely see more that 200 million search results.

HR Checklist to Update Your Employee Handbook — You should review your employee handbook every six months and update it when necessary. Between reviews if you suspect change is needed, don’t hesitate to review it and make appropriate changes.

Scaling Your Business Starts with Effective Management — Confidence starts with knowing the difference between scaling and expanding – and growing with the help of your culture and employees. Here are Biz Coach strategies in human resources to scale your business.

“Good teams incorporate teamwork into their culture, creating the building blocks for success.”

-Ted Sundquist

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Author Terry Corbell has written innumerable online business-enhancement articles, and is a business-performance consultant and profit professional. Click here to see his management services. For a complimentary chat about your business situation or to schedule him as a speaker, consultant or author, please contact Terry.