Canadian HR Reporter

CANADIAN HR REPORTER May 2, 2016 16 FEATURES HR AND PAYROLL IMPLICATIONS OF EMPLOYEE TERMINATIONS REGISTER ONLINE: www.HRReporter.com/CPDCentre For more Live and On-demand Webinars, visit us online. PRESENTER: Brian Kreissl and Annie Chong | Thomson Reuters HIGHLIGHTS: • Reasons for termination (voluntary versus involuntary) • How to effectively plan a termination • The basics of employee termination law • Terminations with and without cause DATE: MAY 17, 2016 LIVE WEBINAR TIME: 12:00 - 1:00 p.m. ET COST: $69 + applicable taxes ENGAGEMENT Setting goals that aren't doomed to fail How to direct time and energy into solid results By Dominique Jones W hile goals — whether individual or organi- zational — cannot be achieved without solid planning, many plans and goals are never- theless doomed to fail. Many employees don't under- stand the strategic objectives of their organization. Consequently, they likely don't have a clear un- derstanding of how their work contributes to organizational success But by applying the following three key principals, organiza- tions can effectively direct the time and energy spent on goal management into solid results. Align employee and organizational goals An aligned organization is one where everyone — from the CEO to front-line employees — is working together towards achiev- ing the same outcomes. is can only happen if front-line employ- ees know what the organization's strategic goals are and how their own work supports them. With a line of sight to what the organization deems important, employees and their managers can invest their time and effort strategically. Setting priorities at work is perhaps as much about what not to do as it is about what to do. Understanding the direc- tion and priorities of the orga- nization enables individuals at all levels to make wise decisions about the best use of their time, thus increasing productivity. "Organizations with a high level of goal clarity were three- and-a-half times more likely to score in the top quartile of busi- ness performance," according to 2014 research by Bersin by De- loitte entitled High-Impact Per- formance Management: Using Goals to Focus the 21st-Century. e research also found aligning goals horizontally as well as ver- tically is important in ensuring different functions of the organi- zation are working in partnership rather than at cross-purposes to one another. How can you best align employ- ee goals? It begins at the top, by communicating and cascading or- ganizational goals throughout the organization. Care must be taken to ensure that messages received by employees are both clear and useful for goal-setting. Set SMART goals The acronym SMART (smart, measurable, achievable, relevant, time-bound) is a proven principal in any method describing how to set employee goals. e intent is to ensure clarity, objectivity and focus in setting practical goals. ese goals can then be used as guides for coaching performance as well as measuring results. SMART goals are: •Specific: Goals are chosen and worded in a way that is clear to both the employee and the man- ager. Specific goals describe an observable action, event or result that will take place if the goal is met. When goals are specific, performers understand what is expected of them. •Measurable: Describes the ob- jective standard by which to determine the degree of success in achieving a goal. Measurable goals ensure performers know how much is expected of them. •Achievable: Although some goals might be challenging, the employee has the direction, abil- ity, resources and opportunity to successfully achieve them. Achievable goals provide confi- dence to employees in proving they can be successful. •Relevant: is refers to the previ- ously discussed goal alignment. Relevant goals ensure employees know why they are expected to perform the goal. •Time-bound: To ensure produc- tivity and effective time manage- ment, time-bound goals are tied to a specific completion date. For long-term goals, it is useful to also set interim milestones with their own due dates. Some caution should be exer- cised in setting employee goals. Too many goals, no matter how SMART they may be individu- ally, will only cause frustration, be doomed to fail or cause the em- ployee to neglect other routine responsibilities. SMART goals are best set in collaboration between manager and employee, so each element can be discussed and agreed upon at the outset. Employee engage- ment is positively impacted when employees have a say in setting their own goals. In addition, em- ployees often have the best view of what works best, where improve- ments need to be made, and what is realistically achievable. Monitor goals When goals are doomed to fail, it is often because they are set — and then ignored until the end of the year. When well-set goals are managed on an ongoing ba- sis, they are much more likely to be achieved. Continuing in the spirit of collaboration, managers should be equipped and account- able to monitor their employees' progress, remove any barriers to success, and provide effective feedback and coaching to ensure the employees stay on track. An important part of goal man- agement is when leaders regularly communicate the status of the organizational goals on which in- dividuals have planned their own performance objectives. Bersin's research also found more than one-half of senior lead- ers revised their goals throughout the year, but only 36 per cent of middle managers made similar revisions. What can be more frustrat- ing than wasting time achieving goals that are no longer relevant to organizational priorities? at means one part of the organiza- tion thinks it's headed in a certain direction, but the day-to-day ac- tions of managers and employees are focused elsewhere. A collaborative discussion be- tween manager and employee, with an understanding of aligned organizational priorities — whether they remain the same as when they were set or undergo some form of adjustment — should yield a few well-aligned, impactful, SMART goals. Goal-setting for success SMART, well-aligned and moni- tored goals are three ways to ensure personal commitments achieve their promise. By the same token, ongoing communica- tion, feedback, coaching and flex- ibility in goal management bring a level of agility to organizations, ensuring the conditions for high performance are supported. Aligning goals has a positive impact on employee engage- ment. Individual goal-setting in alignment with well-communi- cated organizational goals gives employees a chance to see them- selves as integral parts of the orga- nization, entrusted with responsi- bilities that can positively impact its future. Dominique Jones is chief people of- ficer at Halogen Software in Ottawa. For more information, visit www.halo- gensoftware.com. Alignment can only happen if front-line employees know what the goals are. party specialists for cultural audits to ensure that same kind of reli- ability and independence. ird parties build trust with people that allows them to col- lect high-quality data by develop- ing processes with their data and privacy policies to create reliable results employers can act on. Take action Bad news isn't easy to deliver and it's even harder to take. Employ- ers embarking on a cultural audit need to be brave — to be prepared to accept the findings, take re- sponsibility and act on the results. Not acting on an assessment can erode employee trust and damage morale to the point of employees withdrawing and not participat- ing — or leaving their jobs — lead- ing to low productivity and lower performance. A lack of response will fur- ther erode the workplace culture which, if left unchecked, will af- fect outward measures of success such as market share, financial results and brand value, fundrais- ing, investment, partnerships and customer growth (depending on the sector). It's valuable when leadership can respect and understand that employees going into a cultural audit fear nothing will happen. Many see little value in divulg- ing how they feel because they expect nothing good will come of it —there is little belief the situa- tion will change. But the bravery required of leaders in cultural au- dits can make a difference. All the best for the best For those strong enough to act on the results, the outcomes are all positive — there is culture change, people feel they have been heard and can feel they work for some- one who cares, which rebuilds trust. Productivity is boosted, along with employee engagement, and organizations have happy people who feel valued for what they contribute. At their best, cultural audits have a significant impact on how an organization is seen to per- form, from the outside as well as within. More often than not, em- ployers do something about the audit — those that are ready for a cultural audit understand that employees are people who want to show up and work in a positive en- vironment where they feel valued. And these are the kinds of people who are bound to contribute and do more for the organization. Michael Bach is the founder and CEO of the Canadian Centre for Diversity and Inclusion in Toronto. For more information, visit www.ccdi.ca. Be prepared to accept findings AUDIT < pg. 15 Credit: garagestock (Shutterstock)

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