In the cycle of objectives, it becomes apparent that a corporate objective controls the area, function and task objectives. Leadership thus also aims at matching the person with the available resources to his or her function in the organisation’s own sphere of action. Accordingly, goal-oriented leadership can be a good support for human resource development or the individual development programme.
In this article I like to share my thoughts from my experience with you. The goal setting process in seven steps, a challenge for the organisation and all contributors.
- Corporate goal: At a team meeting, the corporate goal is presented to the team and the common understanding is aligned. The importance about the purpose and/or benefit of achieving the goal for the company should be emphasised.
- Goals business unit / team: At the team meeting, the broken down corporate goal is presented to the team level with the associated, concretised tasks. The strengths and opportunities as well as the weaknesses and threats (SWOT analysis) are worked out and recorded together in order to promote a sense of responsibility in the team on the one hand and to strengthen cohesion on the other. The team’s ability to raise its profile can thus be brought into the centre of the joint action orientation.
- Setting goals for the leader/employee: In the appraisal interview, communicate the team goal broken down to the employee level with the corresponding task packages. The leader presents the employee with the concretely defined tasks that she can take on in a resource-oriented way. The employee presents her support options to the manager in a needs-oriented manner.
- Agreement on objectives: In the appraisal interview, the binding, jointly agreed definition of objectives takes place according to the SMART rule. The agreement is based on the possibilities and needs evaluated in advance (point 3). The individual performance contribution to the corporate goal (feedback/agreement) is concretely documented to ensure the personal performance goals and to appreciate the willingness to perform. At this point, the control mechanisms and personal performance measurement parameters should be included and clearly defined (job reference relevant).
- Interim results, new impulses / deviations: The event-related review of target achievement is one of the most important tasks of the leadership function. Influencing factors should be recorded and documented. The effect on the achievement of objectives is recorded in an event-oriented manner. If an influencing factor has a positive or negative effect on the achievement of individual objectives, the endangered objectives are verified/adjusted/corrected or eliminated. Special attention must be paid to a goal that has been eliminated if it is relevant to the corporate goal. In this case, the corresponding target must be assigned elsewhere. Otherwise it can be neglected without compensation.
- Periodic checks: The regular review of the achievement of objectives should be a proper management support. This can be ensured in a process-oriented manner by the staff themselves with the obligation to report deviations, by the self-organised team at the regular team meetings, also with the obligation to report to the responsible body, or by the management body itself. In this periodicity, the management function monitors the achievement of objectives in the management area and reports relevant deviations that cannot be corrected with its own resources to the responsible authority in order to enable operational short-, medium- or strategic long-term measures.
- Performance review: This is to confirm success! The assessment of effectiveness and efficiency as well as satisfaction and sustainability is ensured with this reporting. At the employee level, recognition is ensured, among other things, in the form of an interim report card. The contribution to the financial statements or the annual report is compiled from such performance reviews, among other things. Adjustments and corrections are, in the best case, received as suggestions within the framework of the continuous improvement process. The performance review influences and serves the new corporate goal setting.