Help Staffers Hit Targets

BursaSnipers

Publish date: Sun, 24 Nov 2019, 04:01 PM

2 You’re great at setting your own goals. You tune goals to make them realistic, measurable and meaningful. But can you help employees with their goal setting?

Just because you’re skilled at goal setting for yourself doesn’t mean you’re an expert at helping others reach their objectives. As much as you try gentle prodding and vocal cheerleading, there’s no guarantee the people around you will boost their game to reach the end point you’ve set for them.

Ideally, you work with each team member on his or her goals. You cull input from them and let them do much of the heavy lifting in deciding where to plant the goal posts. They might even commit to more ambitious objectives than you’d ever dare propose.

But to help employees reach their goals, you need another strategy.

Create A Vibrant Culture

Your workplace environment plays a key role in shaping employees’ attitudes about goal attainment. If everyone expects to hit their targets, that positive, can-do atmosphere breeds confidence and success. But if people gripe about goal setting they perceive as impossibly hard to achieve, then a dark cloud of defeat will spread.

“Your culture has to be as inclusive as possible,” said Paul Meshanko, author of “The Respect Effect.” “If people are preoccupied with things like office politics or who gets the most recognition, then they’re only going to be half focused on work. If you make everyone feel welcomed and they all know they belong, then they’ll feel that colleagues have their back and that everybody feels safe.”

Confidence enables people to charge full steam ahead toward their goal.

Connect The Dots

Employees are more apt to pursue big goals if they’re motivated by something more than a paycheck. Inner desire — what experts call “self-motivation” — spurs individuals to greatness.

“Help people understand how their work contributes to a larger success of the organization,” said Meshanko, chief executive of Legacy Business Cultures, a staff development firm in Annapolis, Md. “And find out what’s meaningful to somebody and link their work success to their broader success.”

Offer A Range Of Resources

It’s easy to declare a goal to your team and then leave them to their labor. But that’s risky if they need support along the way.

“More hand-holding on the front end works well, especially with younger employees,” Meshanko said. “Ask them what you can do to help them and tell them about resources you have such as a new piece of test equipment,” a mentoring program or training opportunities.

Humanize The Customer

Is the purpose of employee goal setting to deliver better service? If so, break down barriers between the customer and your staffers. Share anecdotes about how users of your organization’s products or services benefit from your team’s efforts. Instill pride in what you produce and how it makes the world a better place.

“Leaders need to define who is our customer and how happy and grateful our customer is when we deliver,” said Gene Kim, author of “The Unicorn Project.”

Limit Distractions

Set the stage for individuals to operate at peak productivity. Limit the number of meetings and other diversions that disrupt their focus. Provide quiet spaces if individuals prefer to operate free of ambient noise.

“Find out from people the kind of environment they prefer to do their best work,” Kim said. “Then design the workplace to recreate that environment.”

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