7 Goal Setting Activities for the Workplace

Most employees want to perform well at work. The problem is, most of them aren’t always sure what they should actually aim for.

I have witnessed many instances in different organizations where employees have been putting in a lot of effort. They have been holding many meetings and have been progressing with their projects. However, when I ask them about the goals they aim to achieve, the answer I receive seems to be ambiguous. Most of the time, the goals were set months ago and have never been reviewed.

This has been proven by research conducted by Gallup. According to the research, employees who know what is expected of them will definitely be more engaged and productive. Another research conducted by the Harvard Business Review has revealed that goal setting plays a significant role in enhancing the performance of employees and teams.

However, I have learned over time that goal setting must feel like a process, not a meeting.

It is here that goal setting activities can be useful. Rather than looking at goal setting as a written document or an annual process, goal setting activities can be useful in terms of thinking, talking, and clarifying goals with others.

In this article, I will outline 7 goal setting activities that can be useful in the workplace.

What Is Goal Setting?

Essentially, goal setting is the determination of what you want to achieve and the strategy you will employ in the process.

In the workplace, goals assist workers in channeling their energy towards things they want to achieve for the team and the organization.

A clearly defined goal typically answers three basic questions:

• What do we want to achieve?
• How will we measure it?
• When will we achieve it?

For instance, the goal of improving the customer experience is noble, but it does not give a clear idea of the strategy. A better-defined goal would be increasing customer satisfaction from 80% to 90% in six months.

The difference between the two statements is minute but significant. With clearly defined goals, workers can make better choices regarding where they channel their time and energy.

Having achieved this, the next logical question would be:

Why does goal setting matter so much in the workplace?

Why Goal Setting Activity Is Important in the Workplace

From my experience in studying the different kinds of workplace performance systems, I believe goal setting plays a significant role in the process of transforming ideas into action. This is because without goals, the group might be productive but will never move in the same direction.

Here are three reasons why goal setting is important in the workplace.

It Creates Clarity

Goal setting gives employees a clear idea of what success looks like. Instead of wondering what to do, employees will know exactly what they are aiming for. This will enable the group to concentrate on the big picture, not just a bunch of random tasks.

It Improves Motivation

Goal setting gives employees a sense of direction. When employees know what to aim for, they will be more motivated to reach the goal.

It Aligns Teams with Business Priorities

Businesses have big plans and dreams. However, goals give employees a sense of direction on how to fulfill their dreams.

However, setting goals is just the first step. Unfortunately, in most workplaces, goals are written and forgotten. This is why the process of goal setting might be more important than the goals themselves.

7 Goal Setting Activities for the Workplace

Here are seven goal setting activities that work well in organizations trying to make goal setting more engaging and effective.

1. Reflect on Past Wins

Before establishing new goals, it is useful to have the employee reflect on what has gone well over the previous quarter or year.

You might want to ask questions like:

• What are you most proud of accomplishing?
• What projects have had the greatest impact?
• What have you learned from the challenges you have experienced?

It is useful to have the employee reflect on their strengths and opportunities to create better goals in the future.

2. Imagine the Future

It is useful to have the employee imagine where they want to be professionally in the next year.

Perhaps the employee wants to:

• Develop certain skills?
• Take on certain responsibilities?
• Achieve certain results?

It is useful to have the employee imagine their future and think beyond their immediate tasks.

3. Team Alignment Discussion

Sometimes goals are not met because teams do not work well together.

It is useful to have a team alignment discussion where the team can openly discuss their goals and objectives.

4. Identify Key Priorities

Employees may have many responsibilities to attend to, and this may cause confusion while setting goals.

In this activity, team members will write out all their potential goals and then narrow these down to the top three or five goals that will have the most impact.

This activity will encourage employees to concentrate on the quality of goals as opposed to quantity

5. Plan Skill Development

Personal development is a vital aspect that should be included in goal setting at all times.

Employees will be encouraged to identify one or two skills that they want to develop in the coming months. These goals will then be linked to performance goals.

For example, an employee may want to develop skills in presenting or data analysis.

6.Peer Goal Feedback

Employees may benefit greatly from their colleagues’ views on whether or not their goals are realistic or make sense.

In this activity, employees will be required to share their goals with colleagues for constructive feedback. This will result in better and more effective goals.

7.Quarterly Goal Review

Lastly, one of the most effective things to do is to review goals.

Quarterly review sessions allow teams to assess and adjust goals. These reviews keep goals alive and prevent them from being forgotten.

How to Achieve Results

Once goals have been established, the next step is to actually start achieving them. There are a few things that can be done to actually start achieving the goals.

The first thing to remember is to keep the goals simple. Most employees will perform best when they have a few goals to work on.

The second thing to remember is to frequently review the goals. Talking about the goals will actually help the employees stay on track.

The third thing to remember is to frequently acknowledge the employees’ progress. Recognizing the employees’ progress will actually keep them motivated.

How JOP Helps Teams Set Better Goals

Although goal setting exercises are useful, managing goals across teams has remained somewhat tricky.

This is where goal setting tools like JOP (Joy of Performing) can be useful.

JOP helps in the structuring of the goal setting process in an organization by enabling teams to:

• establish clear goals at the organizational and individual levels
• continuously measure progress
• align teams with business goals
• build continuous performance dialogues

When the right systems are in place, goal setting becomes more than just an exercise.

Conclusion

Goal setting is actually a process that many managers take for granted. However, it’s actually a powerful process.

If the employees in the organization understand the goals and how the goals will actually benefit them, they will automatically start becoming more focused and motivated.

Activities such as reflection, goal setting, and reviews will actually start to turn the goal setting process into a dialogue.