Every organization should be hard at work planning for the coming year. To that end, I am submitting some tools over the next several Power Ideas to help you understand Organizational Goal Setting and how to develop goals for your business. I hope you find this information useful.
Successful organizations recognize that goal setting is done at two separate but interrelated levels - Organizational Goals and Personal Goals. In this issue of Power Ideas, we will focus on what constitutes excellence in organizational goals.
Organizational goals provide the definition of purpose and the direction for an organization. Goals crystallize and bring life to the organization's vision. Goals that are developed and executed properly foster organizational alignment and success through the three critical components of an organization: Strategy, People and Processes.
As goals are carried through every department, business unit, or division of an organization, they provide the cornerstone to the organizational structure. The primary reason most organizations exist is to be profitable or to generate enough funds to implement their mission. Goals provide the direction around which every part of the organization, as well as the individuals in the organization, must be organized. When the physical, mental and emotional efforts of the entire team are channeled toward organizational goals, the organization's success increases dramatically.
Goals provide a method of tracking and recording achievements. Recognizing achievement is a confidence builder. Past accomplishments can be a predictor of future success! Goals assist the organization in all decision making. When an organization has defined exactly where it is headed, many decisions will fall in place. Each part of the organization can weigh its own effort in terms of its contributions to the overall objectives.
Developing Organizational Goals
When you contemplate how to organize your goal planning we suggest you consider three primary areas of focus:
- Production Management Goals
Every organization produces something -- a product, service, or both. Establishing goals related directly to your product or service is critical to success. Generally these goals are easy to identify because they are tangible in nature. How many widgets will you need to meet sales? How many service reps will you need to handle call volumes?
- People Management Goals
Here we focus on the organization's most valuable assets, its people. People make decisions, establish policies and manage most of the functions necessary to maintain and grow the organization. What plans are you making for the selection, retention and development of your human assets? How do you create a climate that promotes the maximization of your human potential? What pay and rewards systems are in place to encourage your people and to build a loyal workforce that is stable while being continually energized?
- Time Management Goals
The third critical area for success is the management of your most fixed commodity -- time. It is important to critically analyze how time is used by the team. Is it most efficient? Do meetings have a beginning and ending time, an agenda, an outcome, minutes? Are communications managed in an effective manner? Are we managing email, voicemail and texting in the most efficient manner? What systems support what we are doing? Are they efficient? Have you had your systems and procedures evaluated by a competent, outside consultant? Since we have only a finite amount of time, what happens in the use of that time is critical to how effective an organization functions.
Next week, we will share the concept of WHYSMART, and how goals are actually written and managed. In the meantime, if you want more input on this critical success factor for your business, don't hesitate to contact me personally at our toll free number 1-866-217-2155, or by email at jerry@houstonpartnersinternational.com. We are ready to help in any way we can to ensure your success in 2009! Also take the time to go to our website at www.houstonpartnersinternational.com and take a look at our Strategic Planning and Annual Goals Review Processes in the What's New section of the home page.
Have a Great Week!
Jerry
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