Line managers should work in partnership with their team to develop individual objectives that will support the team/department/academy to achieve their collective objectives within their team improvement plans. Team members should also be able to identify how their contribution is supporting CLF to achieve our collective objectives, set in the strategic plan.
We all need to get the process of setting objectives right. Poor objectives can cause confusion or send individuals in the wrong direction. The process of objective setting can seem daunting, but this shouldn’t be the case.
What is an objective?
A statement which describes what an individual is hoping to achieve, something to be aimed for, but within reach.
Often the SMART acronym is used to support you in setting objectives, setting ‘SMART’ objectives should enable you to focus your professional development planning meetings.
Specific – be clear about what is expected, describe the desired result in a well-defined way.
Measurable – Include a measure to monitor progress and know when the objective has been achieved. An objective should describe an outcome and know what the result will look like.
Achievable – objectives should challenge individuals but not be out of reach, the necessary resources should be available to ensure that the desired outcome can be achieved – resources may need to be allocated.
Relevant – this should ensure that the objective set is appropriate to the individual, their role and that the objective aligns with the overall strategy of the team and organisation.
Time-Bound – agree a date for the outcome to be achieved, for longer term objectives key milestones should be identified to ensure that progress is kept on track.
Use the template below to help you to set objectives with your team. You could ask your team members to prepare one objective using this template to bring along to their PD meeting.
There is additional guidance to support you here.
Reflective Questions
