affected the organization. Clear performance goals make it much
easier to monitor performance throughout the year and catch
situations where performance may be veering off course. Then
what follows is a diagnostic process in which employee and
manager can figure out what might be causing performance
deficits and take action early. In other words, the goals serve as
the basis for an “early warning system,” because they are specific
enough to allow employee and manager to gauge progress all
year long.For the Employee
Most employees want and need to know four things about their
work so they can contribute and feel comfortable about where
they are in the organization:
■What do I need to accomplish?
■Why am I doing what I’m doing?
■How well must I do it?
■How am I doing?
Job descriptions are of some help in outlining what an
employee needs to accomplish, but usually don’t specify the
“how well” part. Performance appraisals can provide information
about how an employee is doing, but they are usually not done
often enough to provide enough information.
Ideally, performance goals specify what accomplishments
are necessary and how well the work should be done. They are
much more specific than job descriptions.This helps the employ-
ee have a better understanding of his or her job. That’s always a
good thing. The more an employee understands the job, the
more likely he or she can contribute.
7Using This Book to Write Better Performance Goals