MANAGEMENTSETTING TARGETS

“The greater danger for most of

us isn’t that our aim is too high and miss it but

that it is too low and we

reach it” -Michelangelo

The success of a business relies on it’s employees at all levels. A good

manager knows how to set the right targets for their team and help

them work towards these goals.

cc KOMPANIA PIWOWARSKA

HERE’S HOW TO DO IT

01DON’T SET YOUR SIGHTS TOO HIGH

It’s important to not set targets too high - an unachievable goal is likely to damage the team morale.On the other hand, if a target is set too low your team may not feel challenged enough, which also negatively impacts morale.

01DON’T SET YOUR SIGHTS TOO HIGH

Try setting targets that play to their individual strengths and fully utilise their skills. But make sure you’re being realistic in your expectations!

02When setting your targets, make sure you make it clear how success or failure will be measured.Alongside this, communicate well with the team to ensure they are completely clear on how their performance will be measured.

SET TARGETS THAT ARE MEASUREABLE

02This helps them keep track of their progress as well as giving the manager something tangible to focus on in discussions with team members.Try setting KPI’s that can be regularly reviewed and are easy for everyone to understand.

SET TARGETS THAT ARE MEASUREABLE

03Proper communication plays a huge part in ensuring targets are set appropriately. Make your team part of the discussion.Managers have the last say in the targets, but it’s important to have dialogue with your team to make sure they are all comfortable with what’s expected of them.

AGREE TARGETS WITH THE TEAM

03Sit down with your team individually and discuss the targets; are they comfortable with them? Could they be higher or lower? Do they need any extra training or support?

AGREE TARGETS WITH THE TEAM

04It’s important that your team know that you have faith in them to hit their targets.That way they should look at their targets as a chance to prove that your trust in them was well placed.

SHOW CONFIDENCE IN THEIR ABILITIES

04Make sure you tell your team that you wouldn’t have set the targets you did if you didn’t believe that they could achieve them all.

SHOW CONFIDENCE IN THEIR ABILITIES

05The targets play a big part in the structure of the team’s workload, but make sure they aren’t set in stone and can be adjusted depending on situations that arise.Be mindful of targets your team is working towards when introducing new projects or increasing the workload of a team member.

MAKE SURE TARGETS ARE FLEXIBLE

05For example; if one of your team leaves and their workload needs to be reallocated then it may be necessary to review the targets of the rest of the team to accommodate this.

MAKE SURE TARGETS ARE FLEXIBLE

06As the team works towards its targets it is essential that you review and evaluate their performance as they go.Some managers only hold meetings with their team when KPI targets are not being met - this is the wrong approach, you need to encourage the team along the way.

GIVE DETAILED FEEDBACK

06Try holding one to one meetings with each team member periodically; this will help bring any problems to the surface that may normally be missed and means you can address issues before they affect performance.

GIVE DETAILED FEEDBACK

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