Conducting a Goal Setting Discussion

Information, Exercises and Resources

 Conducting a Goal Setting Discussion

Review Organizational Goals to Prepare for the Discussion

Before speaking with employees, supervisors should review the organization’s top-level goals and how your own goals contribute to
achieving the organizational goals . In addition, identify the goals that need to be delegated to the team, and provide direct reports with
the information required to draft their goals.
You should advise your reports to complete the following steps to create a draft of their performance goals, strategies, and tactics before
The Importance of the goal-setting discussion.
Conducting Goal
Setting ü Re-read the mission and vision for the ü Review any development areas from
Individual Development Plan organization; understand the recent performance reviews
Supervisors and their direct organization’s strategic objectives and
reports need to collaborate in ü Review their current goals and
how their job supports them
setting meaningful goals, aspirations
tracking progress against ü Re-read the department or school's
ü Identify any new overarching goals
those goals over time, and mission and vision
evaluating performance. ü Identify SMART goals
ü Review their job description and any
performance expectations for their role ü Identify resources to complete goals
ü Identify resources to complete goals:
For the organization, goal- websites, colleagues, required Organization
driven performance trainings
management aligns
employees within an Division
organization around
achieving the strategic goals

Department/School
Ensure Meaningful Goals Organization
You should work with your direct reports to check the accuracy of the
. goals and assess the alignment of goals with the university mission Unit/Team
and departments/school objectives. In addition, you should ensure that
the goals support the employees’ development goals based on any
recent performance feedback.
Individual
 Conducting a Goal Setting Discussion

Set SMART Goals for your Direct Report

Utilize the concept of SMART goals in the goal setting process; this method ensures that the employee and manager both understand the goal by creating a goal that is
specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and timely.

• Your goal should be clear and specific, otherwise you won't be able to focus your efforts or feel truly motivated to achieve it. When drafting your goal, try to
answer the five "W" questions: What do I want to accomplish? Why is this goal important? Who is involved? Where is it located? Which resources or limits are
Specific
involved?

• It's important to have measurable goals, so that you can track your progress and stay motivated. Assessing progress helps you to stay
focused, meet your deadlines, and feel the excitement of getting closer to achieving your goal. A measurable goal should address questions
Measurable such as: How much? How many? How will I know when it is accomplished?

• Your goal also needs to be realistic and attainable to be successful. In other words, it should stretch your abilities but still remain possible. When you set
an achievable goal, you may be able to identify previously overlooked opportunities or resources that can bring you closer to it. An achievable goal will
Attainable/Achievable usually answer questions such as: How can I accomplish this goal? How realistic is the goal, based on other constraints, such as financial factors?

• This step is about ensuring that your goal matters to you, and that it also aligns with other relevant goals. We all need support and assistance in
achieving our goals, but it's important to retain control over them. So, make sure that your plans drive everyone forward, but that you're still
Relevant responsible for achieving your own goal. A relevant goal can answer "yes" to these questions: Does this seem worthwhile? Is this the right time?
Does this match our other efforts/needs? Am I the right person to reach this goal?

Time-Bound • Every goal needs a target date, so that you have a deadline to focus on and something to work toward. This part of the SMART goal criteria
helps to prevent everyday tasks from taking priority over your longer-term goals. A time-bound goal will usually answer these questions:
When? What can I do six months from now? What can I do six weeks from now? What can I do today?.
S.M.A.R.T. Objectives – Example 1
Objective: Produce Monthly Reports

Specific: Administrative Assistant will produce Reports A, B, and C.

Measurable: Reports A, B, and C will be formatted according to guidelines and contain zero errors.

Achievable: Yes, reports are standard and not complex, 100% accuracy is possible.

Realistic/Relevant: Yes, this goal applies to the Administrative Assistant job description.

Time-Bound: Reports will be produced by the 5th of each month.

S.M.A.R.T. Objectives – Example 2
Objective: Maintain Calendaring

Specific: Administrative Assistant will schedule meetings on same day of request and provide written schedule on Manager’s
Desk for next day by 5:00 p.m.

Measurable: Administrative Assistant will keep a spreadsheet of meeting request, time requested, and time scheduled to
track turn around time. 100% success rate expected.

Achievable: No way. Anyone whose ever tried to schedule meetings knows that getting all relevant parties available at the
Same time is like herding cats. To require an Administrative Assistant to get all meetings scheduled on the same day as
requested would lead to guaranteed failure. Revise success rate to 75% and then you have an achievable, yet still difficult,
goal.

Realistic/Relevant: Yes. This is an essential function and something the Administrative Assistant should have control over.

Time-Bound: Written schedule provided to Manager by 5:00pm each day.

S.M.A.R.T. Objectives – Practice 1
Objective: Send out welcome letters to our new students.

Job: Administrative Assistant

Assigned: 10/17/19
Due: 11/26/19

1. Specific
2. Measurable
3. Achievable
4. Relevant
5. Time-Bound
S.M.A.R.T. Objectives – Practice Answer 1
S.M.A.R.T. Objective: Produce and distribute personalized welcome letters, error free, to all new students in
our department by 11/26/19 .

Specific Produce and distribute personalized welcome letters

to new students.

Measurable Distribute letters, error free, by 10/26/19.

Achievable Yes. Task matches individuals skills and job
responsibilities. Has performed similar tasks.

Relevant Yes. This is a key responsibility for the Administrative

Assistant job series.

Time-bound Yes – Simple task, not labor intensive.

S.M.A.R.T. Objectives – Exercise 2
Keep our department’s Website up-to-date.

Job: IT Programmer
Assigned: 7/1/19
Due: First Friday of Every Month

1. Specific
2. Measurable
3. Achievable
4. Realistic/Relevant
5. Time-Bound
S.M.A.R.T. Objectives – Practice Answer 2
S.M.A.R.T. Objective: Solicit updates and new material for the Website from our department managers
on the first Friday of each month; publish this new material by the following Friday. Each time material is
published, review the Website for material that is out-of-date and delete or archive that material.”

Specific Solicit updates and new material for the Website

from our department managers. Review website for
material that is out-of-date and delete or archive
that material.
Measurable Completed by the first Friday of each month.

Achievable Yes. Individual has resources, skills, and knowledge

to execute this task.
Realistic/Relevant Yes. It’s a key responsibility of the IT Programmer
classification.
Time-bound Completed by the first Friday of each month.