How to Write Business Goals
There is a saying -- failure to plan is planning to fail. Nothing runs without a plan and the first step to creating a plan is developing a clear set of actionable goals. This is especially true in business organizations where setting objectives and milestones is based on organizational goal setting. Knowing how to create actionable goals is not rocket science, but there are a few rules to writing the most effective goals.
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Instructions
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Review the five rules for setting business goals. In order to be effective, business goals must be specific, measurable, attainable, relevant and timely. This can best be remembered by using the acronym, SMART.
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Be specific. This means identifying a situation or a goal that can be easily understood. The best goals are linked to numbers, ratios or percentages. The more precise managers can be about the need, the better the goal.
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Formulate measurable goals. In order to improve anything, you must first be able to measure it. Set up a system to measure how goals will be monitored, measured and recorded.
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Make each goal attainable. Another word for attainable is achievable. Setting goals beyond the competition may help to rally your team, but if the goal is unattainable, it will not work. This could have a negative effect on reaching your goals. Analyze the capabilities, strengths and weaknesses of your team before writing your goals.
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Write relevant goals. Most organizations are made of different functional areas. Writing the most effective goals means making those goals relevant to everyone in the organization. Each group must understand how that goal pertains to their work duties and responsibilities.
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Be timely. Give each of your goals a time limit. For instance, "Increase segment A sales by 5 percent in 12 months." This will provide an additional guideline for all team members and help to connect both goals and outcomes to the overall business calendar.
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