All employees have objectives related to their department, position, or specific tasks. These can be quarterly, semi-annual, annual, or even, weekly objectives! Not knowing our objectives or the results we are achieving can be demotivating and counterproductive to achieving real results.
Everyone in a company needs consolidated data to show that their work and efforts are well-directed and yielding results. Therefore, evaluating objectives and KPIs efficiently will positively impact the achievement of our organization's global objectives.
1. Why is Objective Evaluation Important?
Objective evaluation provides a clear benchmark to measure our progress over time. The results help us understand how far we've come and what adjustments might be necessary.
Objectives give us something concrete to work towards, increasing our motivation and commitment to achieve them.
Before evaluating, we must first define them. Defining objectives provides clarity on what we aim to achieve and allows us to focus all our efforts on reaching those specific results.
Moreover, objectives and KPIs help structure our tasks and plan our time more effectively. Knowing what we need to achieve helps prioritize tasks and resources.
Without objectives, we cannot align with the organization's mission, vision, and strategies.
2. Benefits of Objective Evaluation
Objective evaluation offers several important benefits:
· Progress Measurement: It allows us to determine how close we are to achieving our objectives. It helps identify whether we are moving in the right direction or need to adjust our approach.
· Identifying Areas for Improvement: Objective evaluation helps pinpoint areas where we can improve. If progress is not as expected, we can analyze what is working and what isn't, and adjust our strategy accordingly.
· Recognition of Achievements: Objective evaluation enables us to recognize and celebrate our achievements. Meeting objectives boosts motivation and reinforces self-confidence.
· Personal Development: It provides an opportunity to reflect on experiences and learn from them. It helps identify effective strategies and actions, aiding in personal and professional growth.
· Alignment of Objectives: In a team or organization, objective evaluation ensures everyone is aligned and working towards the same results.
· Motivation: It provides clarity and focus, recognizes achievements, reinforces self-confidence, sets more challenging goals, and adjusts strategies as needed, maintaining high motivation to work towards objectives.
· Performance Improvement: It offers regular feedback on performance, helping employees identify strengths and areas for improvement, and develop necessary skills to achieve their objectives.
These benefits not only add value to the company's development but also make employees feel purposeful and crucial to achieving goals.
Personal objectives within an organization are as important as global ones, allowing us to set specific goals for our professional growth, team contribution, and skill development. Clear personal objectives keep us motivated and committed to our work.
3. Challenges in Objective Evaluation
Challenges can arise at both personal and organizational levels, including:
· Clarity: Any type of evaluation requires clarity in the definition of the goals or indicators, as well as in the evaluation method chosen. The objectives or KPI's must be very clear and specific and, of course, must be known to all people involved in the evaluation.
· Relevance: In addition to being relevant objectives, it is very important that they are aligned with the organization's strategies. We all need a purpose!
· Reachable: A goal that is impossible to achieve or very abstract will only cause frustration and demotivation. However, we can measure concrete and realistic goals and track them over time until they are achieved.
· Follow-up: The key to an evaluation of objectives and KPIs is that milestones or reference points can be established to evaluate performance over time. Thus, we can monitor an annual objective every quarter, for example, to make strategic decisions in time if the person evaluated is not following the appropriate steps to achieve it. Or, on the contrary, to reinforce its good results orientation.
4. Methods for Defining and Evaluating Objectives Effectively
Several effective methods for defining objectives include SMART, CLEAR, PURE, and GROW, each with its own advantages and applications. All these methods emphasize setting realistic and achievable goals, providing value and motivation to those who implement them.
4. 1. SMART Method
The
SMART method refers to:
· Specific: The objective must be clear to be able to direct our efforts towards key points.
· Measurable: So that the progress can be tracked.
· Achievable: Objectives must be realistic, not stepping stones that will take us nowhere.
· Relevant: Relevance refers to focusing on something that makes sense within the project. It's about making sure the goals align with the organization's values, culture, and other goals.
· Time based: Any goal needs a deadline to focus on. Setting follow-up and completion dates will help us prioritize and maintain focus and motivation.
This method provides clarity and makes objectives specific, facilitating progress and success measurement.
At an organizational level, this method is effective for projects with defined timelines and quantifiable results. For employees, this approach can provide clarity and guidance regarding expectations and how their success will be measured.
Example:
Implementing a new accounting management system to optimize financial processes and reduce errors by 20% by December 31.
4.2. CLEAR Method
The CLEAR method refers to:
· Challenging: The objective requires continued effort, it is a challenge.
· Legal: Ensures all marketing strategies comply with advertising and consumer protection regulations.
· Environmentally conscious: It must be ensured that they are environmentally friendly and minimize any negative impact on nature.
· Appropriate: It must be aligned with the culture and values ??of the organization and the person who will achieve it.
· Reviewable: It is accompanied by a process to evaluate progress and is capable of making adjustments to the strategy, as necessary, to achieve the objective.
The CLEAR method emphasizes challenging and meaningful objectives, with a structured approach for sustainable impact.
It requires more effort in planning and execution. This approach is useful for goals that require significant effort and have a clear purpose.
For employees, this approach can be motivating by setting goals that have a clear purpose and tangible impact..
Example:
Reducing event X costs by 15% in the first half of the year, adjusting energy consumption.
4.3. PURE Method
The PURE method refers to:
· Positive: We must formulate a positive objective that is constructive and motivating for the teams and people who will work to achieve them.
· Understood: The formulation of these objectives must be clear and understandable to anyone.
· Relevant: Refers to the importance of that objective.
· Éthical: The integrity of a PURE objective is what will validate its execution.
This method promotes positivity and ethics in goal-setting, aligning objectives with organizational values and vision.
Example:
Increasing customer satisfaction by 20%, measured by a rise in satisfaction surveys scoring 9 or higher, within six months.
4. 4. GROW Method
The GROW method refers to:
· Goal: This first phase focuses on defining the objective to be achieved.
· Reality: We have to know what the real starting point is to start working on the objective.
· Options: Generate a list of options, as broad as possible, to achieve the objective.
· Will: refers to creating a
action plan effective to meet the requirements and step by step.
This method provides us with a comprehensive approach that encourages the exploration of creative options and solutions to achieve objectives. It is suitable for goals that involve personal growth and professional development.
At the organizational level, GROW goals can be useful for leadership development and training programs. For employees, this approach can be empowering, allowing them to explore options and creative solutions to achieve their goals.
Example:
Improving leadership skills to be considered for promotion within 12 months.
5. Why is Objective Tracking Important?
Tracking objectives is crucial for reasons such as:
· Progress Measurement: Essential for evaluating advancement towards objectives and ensuring we are on the right path.
· Identifying Deviations: Detects potential problems, facilitating timely corrective actions to avoid major issues.
· Adaptability: Allows adjustment to environmental changes.
· Motivation and Focus: Reminds us why we strive, driving us forward even in the face of challenges.
6. Steps to Conduct an Objective Evaluation
To conduct a successful objective evaluation, follow these steps:
6.1. Step 1: Choose Objectives to Evaluate
The first step is to decide which goals or KPIs we want to evaluate. We can evaluate objectives per job, common to all employees, or individual objectives.
To set these objectives, Hrider offers the flexibility to define them in various ways. This can be done by the supervisor of each team, the person being evaluated, or the Human Resources department. These objectives should include detailed descriptions, the evaluation method, and the ideal metrics or data to achieve each objective. Additionally, we can assign weights to the objectives to factor in their importance when calculating the final result.
Once the objectives are defined for each professional profile or individual, Hrider allows us to add them to a model or evaluation template, or import them via an Excel file. Furthermore, we can choose to evaluate these objectives in conjunction with other indicators such as competencies or values, or opt to evaluate only the objectives themselves.
6.2. Step 2: Choose Evaluation Indicators
We offer various types of evaluation indicators to ensure the most suitable one can be selected for the objectives being assessed:
6.2.1. Linear: The evaluator simply needs to enter a value between the minimum and maximum allowed, according to the list of values defined by the Hrider administrator. These values include: minimum value, maximum value, target value, and the value corresponding to not meeting the objective.
6.2.2. Ranges: The evaluator enters a value between the minimum and maximum allowed, which will correspond to a range. The Hrider account administrator will define each range as a list of values specifying the lower value, upper value, and the degree of compliance obtained.
6.2.3. Selector: The evaluator only needs to click on a response from a list of options. The administrator defines each option with a title and a degree of compliance.
6.2.4. Free: The evaluator will establish the value and the degree of compliance achieved for each objective.
6.3. Choose the Evaluation Methodology
The third step is to decide which type of evaluation to apply for each job position. In an objectives-based evaluation, we assess numerical objectives/KPIs, so there is no need for the multiple perspectives technique. If we associate achievement with a specific number of clients obtained or the number of projects completed, the response is clear and does not require subjective interpretations for comparison. Therefore, in an objectives-only evaluation, the
methodology, generally, is 90 degrees.
Since Hrider allows evaluating objectives alongside other types of indicators, all methodologies are available: 90, 180, 270, or 360 degrees. In designing your evaluation, you can also decide the importance (weight %) to attribute to each of the roles involved. Depending on the type of indicators being measured, we can determine which roles are most appropriate for evaluation. For example, we might decide that organizational values should be evaluated by all roles, objectives should be evaluated only by the Supervisor, and technical competencies should be evaluated by the Supervisor, Colleagues, and Subordinates (the te
Here are the final steps on how to submit an evaluation.
7. What Decisions Can We Make After an Objectives Evaluation?
With the objectives evaluated, we can make important strategic decisions such as adjusting goals, requesting additional support or necessary resources, and even considering additional financial rewards to recognize success in meeting objectives.
It's importante to manage an action plan associated with your objectives evaluation. An Action Plan is a guide that helps plan the management of each evaluated individual. It serves to define new goals by breaking them down into smaller actions, making these goals easier to achieve. With this action plan, you can set start and end dates for each action, and have a dedicated space to review and closely monitor the progress of each one. It’s like having a GPS for your objectives, guiding you every step of the way towards success!
8. Practical guide for defining objectives
We share with you a completely free guide, where we explain the methods of defining objectives with practical examples.
Download Goal Guide
9. Conclusion
Now that we have reviewed all the steps to follow and some tips for conducting a good objectives evaluation, we can conclude that:
Objectives evaluation is fundamental for achieving personal and professional success. It helps us stay focused, motivated, and on the right path toward achieving our goals and aspirations. With regular objectives evaluation, we can reach our maximum potential!