GOAL CLARIFICATION

Proper goal setting greatly helps enhance performance and avoid disappointments. You
can hardly set performance standards if you have not set your goals. For goals help
define what you really want and how to achieve it. Goals that are too easy to achieve
provide little motivation; but, on the other hand, unrealistically difficult goals can lead to
loss of confidence and eventual rejection of the goal. Many organizations use the
SMART mnemonic -
 Specific
 Measurable
 Achievable
 Relevant
 Time- framed
In beginning the process of setting goals, it is important to be specific and realistic
about what you are striving to achieve. While deciding upon the goals for employees, it
should be taken into consideration that they are-

1. Specific-
Specific is the What, Why, and How of the SMART model. WHAT are you going
to do? WHY is this important to do at this time? What do you want to ultimately
accomplish? HOW are you going to do it?
2. Measurable-
Choose a goal with measurable progress, so you can see the change occur. How
will you see when you reach your goal? Establish concrete criteria for measuring
progress toward the attainment of each goal you set. When you measure your
progress, you stay on track, reach your target dates, and experience the
exhilaration of achievement that spurs you on to continued effort required to
reach your goals.
3. Attainable-
A goal needs to stretch you slightly so you feel you can do it and it will need a
real commitment from you.

Objectives that are challenging, as long as they are accepted, will produce better
performance than those that are not so straight. Goals / objectives of employees can be
made clear through activities like-

 Objectives are set based on previous employee performance. Employee will

consider this a fair method and accept it.
 Involving employees in goal setting boosts communication and provides a clear
and better understanding of goals.
 Objectives can be set according to the results of time motion studies. They are
applicable only to routine jobs.