SMART goal success for managers and supervisors: How to guide your employees without taking over the process

If you’re a manager or supervisor who uses SMART goals for employee development and evaluation, you already know that it’s incumbent upon your team members to craft and complete their goals. However, while you shouldn’t take over the process, you play a crucial part in it. 

SMART goals are Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and Time-Bound. Here's how you can provide guidance in each area.

Often, employees -- especially newer ones -- will present goals such as "I want to be a better employee" or "I want to improve my people skills." It's up to you to help them "peel the onion," as it were. Ask the employee what exactly it will look like to make that improvement or what specific skill is desired. Keep asking variations on that question until the employee articulates just what they want to do. Unless your employee has a well-defined target to shoot for, there's no way to define what success looks like and the goal is doomed to failure.

For the measurable aspect, you need to know your employee's capabilities -- and then urge them to set goals which stretch those capabilities. Ask: "If you push yourself, what numbers do you think you could reach?" Also, it's important that the thing being measured supports the employee's core job goal. Chasing numbers for their own sake -- for instance, focusing on the number of sales calls rather than their outcomes -- can be detrimental to that.

For a goal to be achievable, the employee must have the needed resources: time, money and materials. They also need the right prerequisite skills and qualifications. As a manager or supervisor, you should know what the company's budget is for training and upskilling. You also need to know each team member's current levels of expertise and education in the area selected for improvement. If the desired training isn't in the budget, provide suggestions on researching other options that do fit the financial picture. Similarly, if an employee proposes advanced training in an area where foundational work is needed, praise their initiative but suggest a smaller step first.

Goals should be relevant not just to the employee, but to the company and its strategic aims as well. If an employee presents a SMART goal that benefits them but not the company, don't dismiss it as irrelevant with a flat statement. Instead, say something like: "That's an interesting personal goal. How could you relate that to what you do here?" The employee might be able to make a connection you haven't thought of. If not, it's okay to suggest broad areas in which the employee might combine personal and company-relevant improvement. The key word is "suggest," so that the employee still owns the goal.

The potential issue with the time-bound aspect is that some employees might want to rush things, while others might not have enough of a sense of urgency. Either way, your employee needs a realism reset. For example, if someone sets what looks like an unrealistically short timeframe, ask: “Can you walk me through how you can get it done that quickly?”  At the other end, there could be a reason your employee needs more time. Maybe your employee is someone who needs extra repetition in a task to master it -- or needs more time with reading material because of a neurodiverse condition such as dyslexia.

New to a managerial or supervisory position? Check out Survival Skills for First-Time Supervisors

Autonomy: Gaining commitment through empowerment

Besides step-specific guidance, your employees also need a certain amount of leeway as they create and work toward their goals.

People are more invested in their own ideas. They’re also more satisfied at work when they have a measure of control over how they carry out their job duties.  Giving them flexibility conveys trust and confidence in their ability to make good decisions, which will in turn increase their trust in you as a manager. This is especially important for new managers. Fall into the trap of micromanagement early on, and it can take some time to get out of it.

Also, when you give an employee some flexibility in their course of action to achieve the aims of their SMART goal, you’re reinforcing the idea of individual initiative and planning. If you’re taking over every detail, the only thing your employee learns is to go along with directions without thinking about it.

By following through on promised support, and providing judicious guidance and autonomy at the right times, you can help your employees internalize SMART principles without taking over the process.
 

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