Schlagwort-Archive: Goals

What makes a result good?

After the transition of the professional world due to the knowledge and service society as well as the shift of simple tasks to overseas, more and more employees are again providing one stop tasks. They do not only have to perform subtasks, but deliver results.

  • They develop new concepts.
  • They manufacture a complete product.
  • They distribute their products in a certain region.
  • They take the responsibility for a complete operational sequence.

These activities need a good understanding of the deliverables that have to be created. For this reason, it is important that you realize what makes a result good.

Ergebnis

It does not matter, in which field the results are needed. Common to all goals are expectations and the publication that the goals and expectations are met.

  • Fulfilled goals
    Goals are attainable places or conditions, which describe the requirements for results and induce the necessary changes at a certain point in time. The goals are negotiated at the beginning of an initiative between clients and contractors. Above all, contractors should ensure that they can deliver the required deliverables. Eventually, it is crucial to meet the goals.
  • Fulfilled expectations
    The expectations are goals that are substantially more difficult to grasp, since they are rarely formally defined – if at all. It is a matter of the acts that the expecting people hope for, certain results that they wish for or the consequences that result from the initiative. In order to know these expectations, it is essential to ask the stakeholders. On this occasion, expectations can be adjusted or taken into account within the planning. Eventually, it is important to fulfill at least the recognized expectations.
  • And everybody knows it
    It is not sufficient to deliver the agreed achievements. At the same time, you should worry about the fact that everybody, it means the concerned public, are informed. Eventually, the best results are those, who are recognized.

In order to get good results, the following aspects should to be considered.

  • Making goals SMART
    Understandable results that are free from ambiguities facilitate the fulfillment (see also: Smartifikation).
  • Consider stakeholders
    After getting an overview of the stakeholders, personal conversations provide clarity concerning their expectations.
  • Keeping everybody up to date with a Complan
    The right time to create a communication plan is already at the beginning of an activity. The measures should take place during the execution and especially in the end.

Bottom line: Good results consist of technical outcomes that were described with smart goals, as well as satisfied stakeholders and an open information policy.

Only achievable goals are pursued

The world record in high jump since 1993 is 2.45 m. The gold medal in high jump at the last Olympics in London got Iwan Uchow for 2.38 m. Goals are constantly in motion. The best of the best are constantly determined on different levels. The winners simply jump higher than the competition. In everyday business the goals also have to be adapted to the circumstances. Only achievable goals are pursued.

Hochsprungbw

The intentions are always more or less challenging. It is always valid that as soon as they are fixed, they constitute the framework for everybody. The one, who sets the targets, expect that the tasks are mastered and that the area gets the appropriate advantages. The others, who have the appropriate capabilities, exert in such a way that they fulfill tasks in the expected quality with as little expenditure as possible. Naturally, initiators have larger expectations, than the providers can deliver. And the performers have a smaller drive than those, who pursue general goals. How can you find the height of the bar for any goal?

  1. One could leave it to the orderer, on which height the goal has to be set up. They know what they want to accomplish and what is required. Thus, the goal would fit the interests of the enterprise, but the feasibility would be questionable.
  2. One could leave the height of the bar to the fulfillers. They know best their abilities. Thus, their goal would be probably feasible, but the intended effect would be uncertain.
  3. The performers and the client could negotiate. Then the bar would be not unrealistically high, not uselessly low and ideally beneficial for both parties.

In reality it becomes difficult, since these negotiations are affected by aspects that have nothing to do with the actual goals.

  1. The clients pursue further interests apart from the goals that are negotiated. They must, for example, guarantee the viability of the enterprise and its future. For this purpose deliverables have to be done that guarantee the incomes for covering the current expenses and the development of the offerings. Not to forget their own remuneration. This leads quickly to excessive expectations and objectives.
  2. Even the performers have an additional agenda. They want to keep the balance between work and life. The family, friends and personal interests require time and attention, which thereby lack for the work. This only works, if they optimize their performance in such a way that the own contractual liabilities are not over-fulfilled. This leads quickly to a more modest personal dedication, than the abilities would allow.

The golden mean is the negotiation of the performance agreement on level playing field. The clients can explain their point of view as well as inspire and convince the employees with appropriate prospects. At the same time the performers can address their doubts and adjust the exaggerated requirements. Both parties have the opportunity to better understand the other and to adjust their own claims. The results are realistic client expectations and the genuine employee commitment through their work-life balance.

In order to obtain results effectively, both parties must say farewell to old behaviors. It requires on the one side executives, who have business gut feeling, clear goals and responsibility for the well-being of the employees. But on the other side are employees needed, who understand that their achievements represent the basis for the monthly salary flow and require entrepreneurship, who do not sit-out their work time but dedicate their attention committedly to the enterprise. As soon as one of the two sides loses the well-being of the enterprise out of their sight, the danger exists that the ship sinks, in which everybody is sitting.

Bottom line: The right height of the bar should not be too high or too low, since in both cases evolve disadvantages for the enterprise. The two parties rarely have the overview. Therefore it is indispensable to negotiate the height of the bar. That way, it is guaranteed that the desired outcomes take place. Pre-requisites are reasonable, committed executives and employees, who trust each other. You should never forget that only achievable goals are pursued.