Employee Motivation - SMART Goals Setting
By now, you must have understood that, employee motivation is an important factor for the betterment and growth of any organization. And making an employee motivated, it is very important that, he/she should be evaluated and goal should be set for each individual.
Goal setting makes the employee motivated, because if the goal is reached, the respective employee will be awarded/rewarded/appreciated. This in turn make the other employees motivated and helps in the growth of the organization.
Goals and Motivation
Goals and motivation are very closely linked to each other. Goals give the direction to move and the motivation gives the energy to move, so with their combination the organization attains successful achievement of its objectives. Goals should be so set that they motivate the employees. They should be so designed so as to create a sense of priorities in the employees to achieve them.
Goals should specific, measurable, attainable, relevant and time bound or SMART so that they would be realized in reality. Vague or generalized goals seldom motivate people; whereas specific, clear and well-defined goals motivate them to move towards attainment of organizational goals.
Setting SMART Goal for Employee Motivation
Without specific, measurable, relevant and time bound goals it becomes nearly impossible to attain them. When goals become SMART they are achieved with less effort and time than when they are vague and generic. Setting SMART goals means one can clarify their ideas, focus on their efforts, use their time and resources productively, and increase their chances of achieving what they want in their life.
| Specific |
A specific or certain goal is set after the 6 Ws are answered realistically. Goals should be clear and well-defined. Vague and ambiguous goals are mostly unhelpful because they lack sufficient drive and direction. Setting a specific goals requires
satisfactory answers to the above 6 Wh-questions.
|
| Measurable |
Goals should be so set that can be within the reach of the organization. To be precise about the resources to be spent, the people to be engaged, the time available for completion etc. Unless employees have measurable goals set before them, they
cannot keep abreast of the progress of the project and stay motivated. |
| Attainable |
Goals need to be realistic and attainable to be successful. By setting an achievable goal, the organization can identify previously ignored opportunities or resources that can help in attaining the goal. It is required to know how the organization can accomplish the goal and how realistic the goals are, considering the constraints at hand. |
| Realistic |
Goals should be realistic and relevant and must seem worthwhile and time-bound, matching and properly manned. The relevance of the set goals act as a motivator of higher order for the employees. |
| Time Based |
Every goal should have a temporal dimension. In other words, a goal should have a deadline by which it needs to be attained. Goal attainment beyond the scheduled time may prove unworthy and useless for the organization. |
SMART is an effective instrument that renders clarity and focus need to achieve certain goals. It improves employees’ ability to reach the goals by encouraging them to define objectives and set a completion date. However, SMART is criticized to be unfit for longterm goals because it lacks flexibility.
