Our customers certainly took advantage of Truvelop’s technology last year to adopt a modern, continuous approach to performance management and development. In fact, our customers recorded the highest number of employee assessments completed in a month and delivered the largest number of Sparks (real-time feedback and observations) in any 30-day period since launching the product in 2019.
With multiple data points to reference and reflect upon, managers are gearing up for 2021 by thinking about what needs to be accomplished in the coming year, what development opportunities exist for each team member and identifying any barriers or challenges to success.
Here are 3 tips to consider as you embark on this year’s goal setting process. Make it count!
- Pay Attention to Office Morale. We can expect the maintaining office morale for your team to continue to be difficult this year. In this recent article, The Economist attributes the reason for this difficulty to the inability to have collective, in-person activities to celebrate in the office. Regardless of work location, it is important to utilize any resources and tools available to recognize and encourage team members. Whether it is expressing excitement for upcoming projects or complimenting an employee’s success or achievements the past year, sharing feedback is beneficial for everyone. For Truvelop’s customers, utilizing the Recognition Wall to share positive feedback companywide is a great way to celebrate employees and keep morale high.
- Consider Alternatives to Traditional Goal Setting Models. If you and your team are looking for new goal-setting tools, consider these alternatives to traditional goal setting methods. This article shares alternative concepts to SMART, specifically OKR and CLEAR goal setting models. Most of us know about SMART goals which is a way to write goals and objectives: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, & Time-Bound. When reflecting on how last year went in terms of achieving goals, ask yourself did your organization and team members achieve what it set out to? If not, consider an alternative, more flexible model.
OKR stands for Objective and Key Results. Essentially, you develop a main goal followed by 3-5 steps. For example, your Objective may be to increase the number of Evaluations and Sparks completed in 2021. The Key Results – the steps you will take to meet this goal could be sending bi-weekly or monthly reminders to Managers to ensure they are completing Evaluations and Sparks, setting a good example by participating in the Recognition Wall monthly, and creating monthly incentives to encourage employee engagement. These steps are flexible, but still timely, helping you to reach your objective.
CLEAR stands for Collaborative, Limited, Emotional, Appreciable, Refinable. CLEAR is especially great for team-based goals. The focus of CLEAR is to create an environment that promotes consistent communication so that everyone can feel invested in what they are looking to achieve. This includes establishing role clarity and giving positive feedback.
- Flexibility, Adaptability and Resilience Are Still Important. 2020 has tested each and every one of us. Rather than placing weight on the difficulties or failures of last year, let’s use last year as a baseline for moving forward. Even with such uncertainty, we made it through! 2021 has the potential to be a strong year for your organization, so long as you are prepared to be flexible and adjust as needed. What 2020 has shown us is that building resilience is key to organizational and individual success. As this recent article published in the NY Times highlights, there is no one, right way to think about a problem. Instead, it’s about how you approach and respond to the issue and your willingness to adapt, be flexible and pivot quickly where needed. Use your team members’ strengths to your advantage. Truvelop’s Ignite feature helps managers and employees engage in a continuous & flexible goal setting model where frequent touch points are encouraged throughout the year versus a set it and forget it approach.
As you embark on this year’s goal setting process, don’t forget to pause for reflection and engage in collaborative open dialogue with your team. Start by acknowledging what a difficult year 2020 has been and congratulate each team member for their resilience. Next, move on! Focus on the positive opportunities that lie ahead.
Revamp Your Goal Setting Process with Truvelop
Truvelop creates solutions that help businesses evaluate, develop, and maximize the performance of their team. Shoot us an email at sales@truvelop.com to schedule a demo and learn how your business can benefit from our industry-leading, modern approach to goal setting, performance management and development. It’s not too late to rethink your performance review strategy for 2021.
