Objective Setting

[gee4]

So things are progressing.  I have now settled in my company, and am well established in my new role with my new team.

At the beginning of the year, employees enter annual activity discussions with their line manager in or order to set objectives and now it's my turn.  The information will be uploaded to our in-house personnel system, to be reviewed at year end.

Any ideas on how I go about this?  My boss wants me to draft my own, but where to start?!

[Cathy S]

In setting objectives I have always tried to find win-win objectives; if only the company benefit the individual feels devalued and if the individual is the only beneficiary the company get miffed!

I look at three areas:

• In my own role is there anything I could do differently? (note not necessarily better, more efficiently or at a saving)
• In the wider organisation is there something I could contribute to a system or process that currently doesn't work well - eg is there a bottleneck in the current month end procedures that I could help to address?
• Is there something I could contribute (skill/knowledge/new system) that the organisation doesn't currently have?

The best example I can give of this last category from personal experience was a team of secretaries who each saved their own files using a numerical system (which required an index), they archived to floppy disc at month end and documents were inaccessible to their colleagues in the event of illness or holiday - result a tangled web of documents and shared account access (nightmare!).  I suggested a Document Management System (before they existed) and led a team in putting a system in place, rolling it out and training/helpdesking it.  5 years later it was still consistently in use by 100 staff members having originally been intended for 20!

It is important to bear in mind that this is an annual process and so it is better to set objectives that can be done well and achieved within the year, rather than being over ambitious. 

For anyone who isn't familiar with objective setting they also need to be SMART

Specific
Measurable
Attainable
Realistic
Timely

Hope this helps you make a start Gee

Best wishes

Cathy

[peaches2160]

It appears Cathy has captured the process perfectly.  In establishing my goals and objectives, my boss and I also include review meetings throughout the year, usually every quarter, to review  progress and adjust any goals or objectives that may need to be revised due to business changes, etc. 

I always include a goal for personal development ie: identify a skill that needs improvement or you would like to improve on.  Target a course or two to take and specify when you want to take them by. 

[gee4]

I understand the process I just don't know what to put on paper without knowing what is expected.

I detest when this is left to the individual because I know whatever I write, will be altered or changed anyway.

[Cathy S]

This is the classic situation - everyone has a book inside them ... but they have to start by writing the first words on a blank piece of paper ... so where to start?

That is always going to be the hard part the first time you draft your own objectives ... since the objective has to work for the organisation as well as you they will, inevitably, want to change it somewhat.  That doesn't mean that your first draft of the objective is bad or wrong, simply that it is negotiable, if it isn't negotiable then it isn't SMART because it will never be completely AGREED.

We would struggle to write you a sample objective because we don't know the organisation at all.  There are some good resources on the internet, including templates to assist in setting out a SMART objective BUT again the template doesn't help with the personalisation of your objective for your organisation.

Is there someone in the organisation who might give you some input? perhaps your HR team might look at your initial draft and make some suggestions so you can revise it before you meet with your boss to agree it? Alternatively would your boss do one with you as a starter for ten so you have a better idea of the organisation's expectations? OR work out some areas that could be addressed and discuss those with your boss so you narrow down to say 3 issues that the organisation are agreed on and then draft the objectives for those areas?

If you want to bounce an outline of an objective on here I'll try and make constructive comments, bearing in mind I don't know the company or you well enough to be specific.

Cathy

[gee4]

I have drafted a list and forwarded to my boss which he can look at in his own time.  I don't know why we have to set our own objectives but I wouldn't engage HR, they are useless.

[peaches2160]

Our organization has job descriptions posted with the core dimensions and skills required for the role.  They had every other position in the company except Admin and Executive Asst.  I worked with our HR Dept and we prepared and sent a survey to the Administrative and Exec. Admins in the co.  As well as their executives.  From that the key core dimensions and skillsets required for the role were established.  The description was finally posted.  It took awhile, but now we have something to go by when setting goals and objectives each year.  I had to continue to follow up with our HR Dept. to get this prepared and finalized. 

[gee4]

Is it me or just the people I work with?

Just read an email my boss sent on Friday after I left saying my objectives were fine and could I upload them to the system.  What about the discussion he said we would have?

If that's not an example of how admins are regarded, then I have no idea what is.

Obviously I'm busting a gut for nothing.

[JessW]

Gee

Chill out!  Just because he is your boss, it does not mean he cannot be a moron too (as well as being a man - you know they never ask for directions!)!.

Read my new post in the funnies, it may help a bit!

[gee4]

Thanks Jess.  I just couldn't believe it.  I don't even know if what I have proposed is in line with the company or our department in general.

[sparkles_95130]

We use SMART goals as well, just one other thing that might help you -- start with your company's corporate goals and align to them the best way that your job will fit. Corp goals really should trickle down to every person's area that in the end supports those goals. So work with your manager to make your goals align with the business goals.

You might consider a template some what like this:

Goal/Description/Measure of Success/Start Date/Status/Action Plan/Completion

[gee4]

Ok today quite late on in the afternoon, I get told by my boss he wants to complete my professional development discussion and suggests I go online and add the necessary info.  The last day for completion is 30 September.  I can't believe he didn't give me more notice.

Again, what to write?  I've not been through this before.

Firstly the online tool timed out, it took half an hour to log on.  Once I logged on I couldn't click any of the fields to add anything until I asked my boss for some assistance.  The damn thing timed out before I left so I have no idea if it's been uploaded...I will have to check again in the morning.

How can I know what opportunities are available to me unless -

a) they are communicated to me
b) the existing secretarial needs of the company are addressed

It seems like a last minute decision on his part.

[gee4]

Postponed for 2 hours - can see how this is going...

[gee4]

Well we've had the discussions and all went well.

My boss is happy with the support I am providing for him and the team, and he has no issues.  This was good to know especially after 2 years of being here.  I am now working for this Director 11 months and he couldn't believe how the time had flown.

He was happy with the objectives set earlier in the year and explained they would either be reviewed/updated in January or new ones would be set. 

We touched on the subject of current secretarial issues and we both felt that there were no issues with our team/department but that the current exercise would be advantageous as job descriptions were well out of date.

[JessW]

  Well, at least that is good news!

Well done!

Wonder when I am going to get one of those!