I overheard two guys in a coffee shop talking about the economy. Neither was very positive.
At some point I zoned out and inserted myself into their conversation. In my mind, it went something like this:
Did your company meet its goals last quarter?
Well…Sort of. I mean we did OK, but not what I’d have liked.
Why?
Why what?
Why did your year not live up to expectations?
The economy.
It doesn’t matter if your company consists of two employees or 20,000, your organization has to have goals. You have to have a target to hit – a number to strive for – if you are going to grow (or even survive).
You’d be surprised how many companies just tread water without having solid goals in place.
It’s important for leaders to know their company’s goals. That way they can ensure that their departmental goals match up. (Yes, you must have departmental goals too.)
If you’re a supervisor or manager, when was the last time you asked yourself these questions?
- How many members of your team met their goals last year?
- Why did they succeed when others didn’t?
- How do you support the growth of your individual team members?
- What individual performance plans did you put in place?
- How do you measure each individual’s performance plan growth?
In my opinion, individual goals are the most important. It’s your job as a supervisor to get your team on track and see that the entire unit is moving in the right direction.
That’s a better use of your time then sitting around wringing your hands and complaining.
Posted on
Friday, June 5, 2009
by Sean Taylor Simpson
filed under