Don’t Give Up on Goal-Setting Plans

Q: After graduating with a bachelor of science degree from a state college, I was given the opportunity to manage one of my family’s businesses.

My location has had problems with management turnover, and the associates have had at least a year without any real accountability.

One thing that college taught me was the importance of setting goals, measuring those goals and giving rewards for achieving those goals. I am trying to show my associates how important and useful it can be to set goals that will help improve not only the business but also their own lives.

The employees had been setting goals for about three weeks when I received a letter stating that one of my associates was filing for workers’ comp because of stress. She said that the goal-setting was too strenuous and that she didn’t have time to work on her goals.

My question is what should I expect when she comes back? And should I compromise my position for her?

--W.J., Temecula

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A: You are definitely doing the right thing with your goal-setting program.

Research shows that goal-setting works if it is done properly. Although you are probably implementing goal-setting correctly, I will remind you of the conditions under which goal-setting is most effective.

First, the goals must be realistic--neither too high nor too low. If, for example, the employee is feeling that her goals are out of reach, it may cause frustration and stress. Conversely, goals that are too easy to attain are not motivating.

Second, you must be able to measure the goals, and you must provide feedback about goal-attainment (or nonattainment).

If goal-setting is working overall, you should be able to show some companywide improvement. This might convince your employee (and others) of its effectiveness.

It is also important to provide guidelines for improvement if an employee fails to reach his or her goals.

Further, employees should participate in setting performance goals, and it sounds like you are doing this already.

Finally, good goal-setting programs set work group/team goals and goals for the entire company, in addition to personal goals.

It is important that employees see how their personal goals connect to group and organizational goals, particularly in team-based organizations.

Regarding this specific employee, perhaps she just needs to be helped through the goal-setting process. It might be wise to spend some one-on-one time with her going over the goal-setting program, showing her how it’s working for others and for the company, and helping her with her own goal-setting. You might consider assigning someone else to help guide her through the process.

It’s possible, of course, that she may continue to resist or can’t adjust. Under no circumstances, however, should you abandon your goal-setting program if you believe in it and it is showing improvement.

--Ron Riggio, director

Kravis Leadership Institute

Claremont McKenna College

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