How To Set Goals That Motivate Staff
A key part of the Manager’s job role is making sure that staff are developed and encouraged to tackle progressively more demanding and challenging tasks – in this way organisational objectives are met and personal development and growth is promoted!
The trick is, as ever, making sure that the goals set deliver what you need. The following points are important guides in making this happen:
- Goal difficulty: set goals for work performance that will stretch staff but are just within their ability.
- Goal specificity: set the goals in very clear and precise terms and if possible make them quantifiable so that outcomes can be measured. Avoid setting tasks that are ambiguous or confusing – be clear and concise. always remember that if you set goals in a hurry they are likely to be flawed and give you results that you did not want!
- Participation: where you can get your staff involved in actually setting the goals or targets. This gives ownership of the tasks to them and is more likely to result in a positive outcome and results.
- Feedback: provide information on the results of performance and the outcomes delivered. Thus is essential as a motivational tool but also allows staff to adjust their behaviour and skills towards achieving goals and targets in the future. Not providing any feedback is very demotivating and will generate mistrust and suspicion.
Always remember that if you set goals in a hurry they are likely to be flawed and give you results that you did not want or expect!
Good Luck!
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