Setting Performance Goals
Presented By:
The Office of Human Resources
1
Introduction
• To contribute effectively em ployees:
• Must have job goals.
• Know what is expected.
• Know how performance will be measured.
• Supervisors:
• Must know how to help employees develop
worthwhile goals that focus their efforts and
serve as the basis for performance appraisals.
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Agenda
• At the conclusion of today’s presentation you
should:
• Understand why goal-setting is important.
• Know what constitutes a realistic,
measurable performance goal.
• Know how to work with employees to set
individual goals and develop a plan to
achieve them.
• Be able to use mutually agreed upon goals
for employee development, rewards, and
discipline.
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Pre-training Quiz
• It’s best for supervisors to set performance
goals for employees, since supervisors know
best what has to be accomplished. True or
false?
• Describing a goal as “type error-free reports
by deadline dates” is better than saying type
all reports. True or false?
• Performance goals should reflect the best
possible achievement under the best possible
circumstances. True or false?
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Why Are Performance
Goals Important?
• Performance goals translate job duties and
responsibilities into performance targets.
• Goals are the concrete steps we take to
achieve the mission of the university.
• Goals are measurable and specific. One has
either accomplished a goal, partially
accomplished a goal, or failed to accomplish
the goal.
• Goals help to make the evaluation process
objective and performance based rather than
subjective and behavior based.
• Goals set clear standards for performance.
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Writing Goal
Statements
• A well-defined goal statement is the
foundation for goal achievement.
• A goal is only as good as its statement of
desire and intent to:
• Fulfill responsibilities.
• Solve problems.
• Be creative and innovative.
• Increase professional knowledge.
• A goal statement formalizes:
• What is to be accomplished.
• Who will be involved.
• When the activity will be completed.
• How much it will cost or what resources will
be used.
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Realistic, Measurable
Performance Goals
• Performance goals/objectives
must be SMART:
• S pecific
• M easurable
• A ggressive/A ttainable
• R ealistic
• Timely/time and resource constrained
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Specific Goals/Objectives:
• Are detailed and focused.
• Let everyone know exactly what is to be
accomplished and when.
• Examples:
• Produce the training brochure by September
1st and increase course offerings by 15%.
(Specific).
• Offer employee training (non-specific).
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M easurable
Goals/Objectives:
• Are quantifiable.
• Provide a standard for com parison , the means
to an end, a specific result.
• Have a m ethod for com parison that indicates
when the goal is reached.
• Examples:
• Increase prospective student contacts to 40
per day. (Measurable).
• Do a better job of contacting prospective
students. (Not-measurable).
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Aggressive/Action Oriented Goals
• Are challenging; not merely a statement of
day-to-day duties.
• Contain goal statements that indicate an
activity, a perform ance, an o peration or
something that produces results.
• Tell w ha t is to be done to reach the goal.
• Examples:
• I ncrease course offerings by 10%.
• Produce a new media guide by July 1.
10
Realistic Goals
• Are practical, achieva ble, and possible .
• M otivational - encourage people to improve
and reach for challenging but attainable
results.
• Examples:
• Answer, in writing, all requests for
reclassification within 30 days. (Realistic).
• Answer, in writing, all requests for
reclassification within 7 days. (Unrealistic).
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Timely Goals
• Are relevant to current operations.
• Are scheduled .
• Have a finite duration.
• Meet a deadlin e.
• R egulate resources to be expended.
• Example:
• Increase potential student contacts to 40 per day, by
June 1st, without adding additional staff.
12
Review and Exercise
• Work in pairs to develop performance goals.
• Think of one employee you supervise, and of
yourself, and develop one performance goal
for each.
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Goal/Objective
Achievement
• Review the goal and insure it is SMART.
• Develop a workable action plan to accomplish the
goal which:
• Organizes thoughts into logical and executable
action items.
• Gives structure to goal achievement.
• Provides guidelines for meeting challenging
goals or improving substandard performance.
• Involves both supervisor and employee –coaching,
training, updating, etc.
• Sets specific measures and timetables.
• Identify potential obstacles to completion.
14
Implement the Plan
• Make sure both parties know:
• Who has responsibility for coordinating the
activities necessary to achieve the goal.
• What is to be accomplished.
• When the activity must be completed.
• How the goal will be achieved and what obstacles
may hinder achievement.
• How much it will cost in terms of dollars,
resources, and personnel time.
• Prioritize. List most important goals first.
• Monitor progress.
• Revise as necessary.
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Summary
• Performance goals/objectives let employees know the
expectations for their jobs and the standards they are
expected to meet.
• To be useful tools, goals should relate to specific duties
and responsibilities.
• Employee and supervisor should develop written,
prioritized, goals that are SMART: specific, measurable,
aggressive, realistic, and timely.
• Action plans for goal/objective achievement will help
employees meet challenges and improve performance.
• Employee’s ability to meet performance goals is the
basis for performance appraisals, rewards and discipline,
and employee development.
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Questions?
• Review the training materials as you prepare
to set goals with your employees and/or for
yourself.
• Call OHR at #4106 with questions, comments,
or requests for assistance.
Thank you!
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