Is this goal specific? The goal “to become a successful manager” is a dream, but to turn that dream into a meaningful goal the employee needs to be much more specific. Instead of stating the goal as “becoming the head of a major company division,” the goal might be specified as “becoming the manager for new drug-testing projects.” Is this goal actionable? Simply hoping to become the head of a department is a wish. A meaningful goal needs to be something the employee can take action on, preferably right away. A series of sub-goals should be established which might be stated as one-year goals, five-year goals, and ultimate goals. Specific actions that might be taken in the immediate future should be listed. For example, becoming a more active team member and volunteering for leadership roles is an actionable short-term goal that can lead to greater management type responsibilities. Do the established goals have a time line? “I am going to be the head of the research division one day” or “Someday I will head up a major research effort” are goals, but they need to be sharpened. When time lines are established, career-oriented growth really starts to take off. “I am going to be head of my work team in two years,” “I will complete my Bachelor’s degree within three years,” or ”I will move into a supervisory role within three years” are examples of sensible goal setting. Is this goal realistic? Becoming the head of a work team in two years may be totally reasonable; setting the goal of becoming the company’s CEO in three years is not realistic. While it’s important to not set the bar too high, it’s just as important to not set the bar too low. When the employee feels somewhat unsure about his ability to reach the goals established, but still feels that he could accomplish them, that is when you know you have set the bar at an appropriate level.
Posted on: Thu, 04 Dec 2014 14:08:19 +0000
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