In this section, we will look at how to support each co-worker's performance.
Let's begin by seeing how to set goals based on the company's strategy.
Your goal is to determine goals at the start of the period that must be ambitious, realistic, and aligned with the strategic and operational requirements of the company.
Break Down the Company Strategy Into Performance Objectives
Management by objectives has two basic principles:
The manager sets clear objectives based on the company’s strategy.
The manager monitors performance based on these objectives and the results of their activity.
You will find four successive stages:
Define the overall company strategy.
Draft the budget.
Set your goals.
Set goals for each of your team members.
Once your manager has set your objectives at (or before) the start of the period, you can determine your team's objectives.
This moment is key to leading and motivating your team!
Presenting the strategy to your team lets you explain how everything fits together and justify your goals.
To ensure your co-workers sign on to their goals, identify their WIIFM (What's in it for me?):
Involve your co-workers in defining the strategy by including them in your rationale (according to their level of maturity).
Secure their cooperation by considering their desires ("Do they want to?"), their skills ("Can they do it?"), and their interests ("What do they stand to gain from it?").
Put the goals in the context of the company's growth.
Choose the Right Goals
You can set two types of goals: individual and collective.
Individual goals have two main advantages:
They facilitate communication between you and your co-worker regarding the aim they must achieve.
They create a direct link between you, your co-worker's activities, and the company's strategic decisions (e.g., sales targets for a salesperson).
They are responsible for their results and should be motivated to succeed and go even further.
They aim to:
Strengthen cohesion and cooperation within the team.
Boost motivation by mobilizing the team around a common goal they must meet together.
For optimal performance, consider combining individual and collective goals as each has a specific purpose.
It is a good idea to set no more than four goals per person to avoid diluting their energy and attention.
Establish SMART Goals
SMART goals are easy to understand and significantly more likely to achieve.
S = Specific: the goal must be clearly defined
❌ "Improve server availability above 99.5" is not concrete enough.
✅ "Secure intranet server availability above 99.5 %" is more concrete.
M = Measurable: the goal Is defined using numbers
❌ "Give more team presentations" is not measurable.
✅ "Give at least two team presentations each month" is measurable.
A = Attainable: the co-worker must have the skills and level of responsibility to meet the goal
❌ "No stolen laptops in the company" is not acceptable because this does not depend only on the security officer.
✅ "Inform laptop users of the security measures they should take every month" is attainable.
R = Realistic: the goal helps achieve the higher-level goals and is relevant to the co-worker’s role
❌ "Answer all calls in less than 10 seconds" is not realistic.
✅ "Answer at least 80% of calls in less than 10 seconds" is realistic and within the co-worker's control. Achieving this goal supports the customer satisfaction goal, leading to higher customer conversions.
T = Time-bound (within a fixed period or by an end date): the goal Is time-limited
❌ "Achieve a customer satisfaction rate of 95%" is not time-bound.
✅ "Go from a customer satisfaction rate of 90% to 95% in one year" is time-bound.
Share the Goals With Your Co-worker
It’s not enough to announce goals; you also have to explain them effectively. Therefore, a review meeting with your co-worker is indispensable as they are more likely to understand and meet the goals.
Sometimes your team members may come to this meeting with a little trepidation: "What are they going to make me do now?" However, if you approach it effectively, it will be helpful. For your co-worker, having a clear view of what they must do to be appreciated provides clarity - and ensures their efforts are recognized at the end of the year.
Before you set and communicate the goals, try and answer these two questions:
"What do I expect from my co-worker?"
"Why am I entrusting this assignment to them?"
Mobilize each member of your team during their review meeting; this is quality time devoted to helping them succeed.
Expressing your expectations as SMART goals will make them a practical guide and create a clear roadmap for your team to follow.
On the Day
Put your co-worker at ease at the start of the review meeting. Remind them of the context, the company goals, and the team objectives.
Discuss your co-worker's performance against their goals during the previous period and the factors that contributed to these results.
Present the new goals and then allow them to say what they think.
Together, agree on the actions and means necessary for achieving these goals.
Define the action plan for tracking these goals (see the next chapter).
Validate your team member's acceptance and emphasize that you have confidence in their commitment and abilities.
Five Tools for Managing Your Co-workers' Goals
Profit: Define and track individual goals, team, and company goals; designed for all types and sizes of organizations.
Monday: A very flexible platform to manage your team’s workload in one place.
Asana: Plan, organize, and track the task progress of each team member; many other tools can also be integrated directly into Asana.
Weekly10: Integrates with Microsoft Teams or Slack to regularly monitor team progress thanks to a weekly 10-minute check-in.
Engagedly: Holistic, flexible, and human-centric performance management software. Ideal for companies with 50 to 5 000 employees, it can be personalized to a large extent.
Let's Recap!
Divide the company strategy into clear goals for your co-workers.
Use a combination of individual and collective goals.
Make sure the goals you set are:
Specific
Measurable
Attainable
Realistic
Time-bound
In a word, make them SMART!
Be clear about each team member's participation and work with them to establish their roadmap during an individual meeting.
Now that you know all about setting goals (especially SMART ones) let's look at monitoring their performance.
This is where you have to be the team leader!
