Setting targets, goals or objectives
Featured in the Skills of Appraisal and Performance Review training manual
By Val Rowland & Ken Birkett
Category: Performance Management
Credit price: 4 download credits (Single user)
In order to be more effective, performance review methods must set plans for the future, in addition to reviewing past performance. This can best be done starting at the top of an organisation and working down. Both the reviewer and reviewee should be aware of the overall corporate plan and the objectives descending from it. Each employee can then agree their objectives with their boss and identify development needs. This training activity is only concerned with required work achievements. A strongly related aspect is personal competence and behaviour, and this aspect is dealt with elsewhere in this resource, for example, in activities concerning conflict (‘Dealing with conflict’), criticism (Criticism: Handling it and staying friends’), and unexpected responses (‘Dealing with unexpected responses’).
The training activity opens with an introductory statement explaining that performance targets, goals or objectives should be planned according to certain criteria. These criteria form the basis of the exercises in this training activity. The participants work in pairs discussing their answers to some questions about their jobs. This is incorporated into the concept of the job purpose statement and what it does. They next look at some job context examples and answer questions that relate their jobs to these. The participants go on to examine aspects of their jobs where achievement is both expected and important, leading to a discussion of some of the key result areas in a manager’s role. This is followed by a case study exercise where the participants consider some key result areas and expectation of performance for the role of hotel manager. There is a brief look at performance indicators and the four criteria required for establishing a minimum standard. The participants then consider objective setting, using the acronym SMART to remember the key aspects of objectives. Following this, they think about what makes well-formulated objectives and how they should be written. The final exercise is a case study that asks the participants to write objectives for a sales manager. The training activity closes with a review and summary of key learning points.
Who is it for: This training resource is intended for use by trainers to lead the group in considering the nature of jobs and how specific aims can be distilled for these. The participants work together using their own jobs as models for consideration.
| Resource Type: | Activity |
| Min Group Size: | 4 |
| Max Group Size: | 12 |
| Typical Duration: | 02:05:00 |
| No of Pages: | 27 |
Resources: View standard resources for Fenman training activities
Purpose: This training resource is intended for use by trainers as part of a performance review training programme, particularly for managerial roles. It is part of a set of essential techniques needed for performance appraisal interviews.
Download the training activity, Setting targets, goals or objectives as featured in the Fenman training manual; Skills of Appraisal and Performance Review