129_Ravi Sherwal_IM21_Section B: Setting SMART Goals through tower building....

Tower building exercise was the first exercise in the OBHR classroom. It was a funny game, at first side it appears a wonderful way to produce a childish but building a tall tower turned out to be a competition in the class. And this activity taught such valuable lessons which I am going to share now. So, we had to arrive from building towers to S.M.A.R.T. goals. Goals are an observable and measurable end result having one or more objectives to be achieved within a more or less fixed time frame. This is what our class was asked to achieve and for this we had to fill relevant task values for four different aspects. These are as below:

1. Goal Set
2. Goal Achieved
3. Goal (History)
4. Potential

Going forward with SMART goals , I would first like to define the word GOAL .
According to the business dictionary :-Goal is an observable and measurable end result having one or more objective to be achieved within a more or less fixed time-frame.

We can categorize goals as:-

And to accomplish the goals we need to do goal setting which is more important than decide goals for individual,team or an organization.Learning how to set goals is as important as knowing what the goal should contain It is important to remember about setting goals is the correct F.R.A.M.E of mind.The goal needs to be focused on the purpose.

"Time is Life .To Waste your Time is to waste your Life;To manage your Time is to manage your Life."---ALAN LAKEIN

It is important to know what qualities the goals should embody and here comes the need of SMART Goals.

What do we mean by smart goals?

S.M.A.R.T. goal is defined as one that is specific, measurable, achievable, results-focused, and time-bound.Explaining the following by giving an example:-
Example: By August 1, 2014, implement a new performance management system for company XYZ, A& P Faculty, and University Staff using clearly defined processes and guidelines so employees and managers can more competently evaluate performance and develop their careers.

SPECIFIC:- Goals should be simplistically written and clearly define what we are going to do.
Specific is the What, Why, and How of the S.M.A.R.T. model.

Explanation of Example:

“Implement a new performance management system for Classified Staff, A& P Faculty, and University Staff” = what
“using clearly defined processes and guidelines” = how
“so employees and managers can competently evaluate performance and develop their careers = why

MEASURABLE:- Goals should be measurable so that we have tangible evidence that we have accomplished the goal. Usually, the entire goal statement is a measure for the project, but there are usually several short-term or smaller measurements built into the goal.

Explanation of Example:

The essential metric is whether or not the system is operational by August 1st

ACHIEVABLE:- Goals should be achievable; they should stretch us slightly so we feel challenged, but defined well enough so that we can achieve them. We must possess the appropriate knowledge, skills, and abilities needed to achieve the goal.

Explanation of Example:

In order to reach this goal ,have a skill set, in this case in the area of performance management, that allows to understand the nature of the goal, and the goal must present a large enough challenge to remain interested in and committed to accomplishing.

REALISTIC :-To be realistic ,goal must represent an objective toward which we are both willing and able to work.A goal can be both high and realistic,we are the only one who decide just how high each one's goal should be.But be sure that every goal represents substantial progress.

Explanation of Example:

The result of this goal is a process that allows employees and managers to more competently evaluate performance and develop their careers, not the individual activities and actions that occur in order to make the goal a reality.

TIME-BOUND:- Goals should be linked to a time frame that creates a practical sense of urgency, or results in tension between the current reality and the vision of the goal. Without such tension, the goal is unlikely to produce a relevant outcome.

Explanation of Example:

August 1, 2014 provides you with a time-bound deadline.