Goal setting, benchmarking setting and achieving those goals

Goal setting and benchmarking is the process of setting goals for the organization, a department, team, employee or task. Benchmarking is very similar to goal setting as it sets out the minimum performance level or standard for a task, quality characteristics or process performance. It is important that when setting out goals and a benchmark to where a team, organization, process or individual has to perform it complies with the SMART goals principle. This will enable people within the organization and team to understand better what is expected from them.

Too many times we have seen managers and executives set benchmarks and goals which are too optimistic and sometimes just physically impossible to achieve. The only thing this achieves is employee and staff frustration especially if they are not given the full range of resources needed to achieve these goals.

The three things that people need to succeed in achieving a goal or benchmark are:

–Motivation – The right motivation to achieve
–Knowledge – The knowledge required to achieve those goals
–Resources – The necessary resources to achieve those goals
The goals and benchmarks should be always well communicated and understood as well as integrated into every employees work description and performance objectives to ensure that everyone ’s goals are aligned in the same direction.