Setting realistic objectives
Featured in the Setting Objectives and Seeing Them Through training manual
By Beverley Williams
Category: Performance Management
Credit price: 4 download credits (Single user)
The purpose of setting objectives is always to improve performance and a SMART objective will work towards goals that are challenging yet Realistic. ‘Piling on the pressure’ can result in a demotivated workforce and an organisational culture in which corners are cut and risks taken to ensure that unrealistic objectives are met. Letting people plod on doing the same thing, the same way, year after year, is very unlikely to engender enthusiasm and raise standards. Helping people to achieve challenging goals within a supportive environment, by giving then the necessary resources and the development they need to take on more responsibility, will result in a committed workforce with high morale and a real sense of achievement. This training activity uses a detailed case study to help participants see that the objective-setting process needs to be carefully thought through to ensure that challenging, Realistic, effective, objectives are agreed.
You begin by emphasising the importance of ensuring that the objectives agreed are Realistic. Explain that to do this, people will need to be encouraged to think through all the issues involved before going ahead with agreeing objectives. Then gain agreement that, although detailed consideration of the issues and exploration of the options – for example, planning – takes time and may mean that several objective-setting meetings take place, there is much to be gained from doing it. Then participants work in pairs to think about the advantages, disadvantages and likely outcomes of setting objectives that range from not challenging the person at all to being impossible to achieve. You discuss whether it is Realistic to make all objectives stretching before moving on to look at a step-by-step method of examining proposed objectives to ensure that they are Realistic. Next, participants work on a case study, which asks them to explore options and develop Realistic objectives that enable the organisation to achieve its goals. You hold and informal feedback session – in other words, sit with the participants rather than wiring their responses on the flipchart. Then take personal key learning points from the participants before ending the session by distributing handout 6.12 key learning points, giving emphasis where appropriate.
Who is it for: This training resource is intended for use by trainers to enable participants to focus on the importance of agreeing realistic objectives that stretch people, but not to breaking point, using exercises and a case study.
| Resource Type: | Activity |
| Min Group Size: | 4 |
| Max Group Size: | 10 |
| Typical Duration: | 02:20:00 |
| No of Pages: | 27 |
Resources: View standard resources for Fenman training activities
Purpose: This training resource is intended for use by trainers with participants who are involved in the objective-setting process and are familiar with SMART. While this is of particular importance to line managers, all other members of staff will be able to contribute more fully to the objective-setting process if they have worked through the training activity. Ideally, participants should already have covered, ‘Objectives: What they are and why they exist’ and ‘Introducing the SMART objective’.
Download the training activity, Setting realistic objectives as featured in the Fenman training manual; Setting Objectives and Seeing Them Through