Employee goals should align with university goals, department or team goals, and the employee’s career aspirations. Goals make it possible for people and organizations to move forward in a specific directions.
Goals are brief, clear statements of what needs to be accomplished. They have a start and end date. Goals can be task-focused (completing a project) or learning focused (gaining a new skill). Employee goals should match university, department, or team goals and support career growth.
- Goal Template (docx)
- Individual Development Plan (IDP) Template (docx)
Why Set Goals
- Direction: Goals guide you.
- Prioritization: They help you focus on important tasks.
- Achievement: Goals boost your sense of accomplishment.
- Growth: They help you reach your full potential.
Effective Goal Setting
- Challenging and Specific: Goals should be tough but clear.
- Feedback: Regular feedback helps track progress.
- Commitment: Both the supervisor and employee must be dedicated to the goal.
- Skills: The employee should have or be able to learn the necessary skills.
- Review: Goals should be checked regularly to ensure they are still relevant.
Sources for Goals
- Job Description: Look at your job duties.
- Key Areas of Responsibility/Work Tasks
- Universal Competencies or WECARE Core Values
- Projects: Include major projects that match unit goals.
- Career Development: Consider future career needs or aspirations.
Steps to Set Goals
The supervisor and the employee together will:
- Identify Results: What are you aiming for? What does success look like? Set deadlines.
- Describe Goals: Use action verbs (increase, complete, achieve) and follow the SMART acronym (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, Time-bound).
- Review and Revise: Check your goals often and adjust as needed.
Setting SMART goals:
- Specific: The goal should be clear and specific. For example, instead of “Improve the employee training program to increase skill levels," use “Increase the number of employees completing advanced training courses from 20% to 50%.”
- Measurable: You need to be able to track your progress. In the example above, percentage increases can be tracked and reported.
- Attainable: The goal should be realistic and feasible.
- Relevant: The goal should matter and align with other goals.
- Time-bound: Set a deadline to achieve the goal.
Review your goals frequently and revise as needed.
Tips for Goal Setting
- Start Small: Set 3-5 priority goals.
- Regular Reviews: Discuss goals frequently.
- Track Progress: Write down progress to help with performance reviews.
- Celebrate: Recognize and celebrate when goals are met or milestones are reached.