Best Practices: Achieving Goals

MOTIVATION

Motivation is key in setting and achieving goals. If you want your employees to perform, they must be dedicated and motivated.

Hold regular meetings to set goals and encourage team spirit.
Keep communication lines open at all times and listen to the comments and concerns that are raised.
Engage employees in tasks that broaden their individual roles.
Let your employees do the job they were hired to do by demonstrating confidence in their ability to perform well.
To counter boredom, give creative employees stimulating goals and innovative challenges.
Create projects that involve teamwork. Give teams the freedom to make decisions and set goals.
Be supportive of their creative endeavors and bright ideas.
Be a strong, supportive leader and you will have productive employees who will strive to meet goals.

GIVING EFFECTIVE FEEDBACK

Always give feedback as you monitor your employees’ progress toward their goals.

Do show your honest concern and appreciation.
Do be timely about delivering praise, so that your employees see the direct connection between their actions and your response.
Do praise in public, reprimand in private.
Do give details about how things should change or why they need to continue as they are.
Don’t be judgmental; keep your comments objective.
Do focus on specific behaviors.
Do make time for discussion.
Do keep a written record of what you agree on together.

It takes vision, skill, and dedication to create a workplace where employees feel important and supported, and where they’re committed to their work and to each other’s growth and development. A team that’s productive, innovative, and goal-oriented must be energized and fully engaged. If you don’t intervene when your talented employees’ jobs have become routine, you run the risk of losing them, either physically or psychologically. You must stay on the lookout for opportunities to challenge each one of your employees.