In today’s world, there is not much option when it comes to where people want to work from. If you wish to be safe, you have got to stay in and work from home. On the brighter side, technology has evolved to such an extent that you don’t feel the necessity to be present in an office space to be able to accomplish all the tasks that is in your kitty. Of course, there will be exceptions. But what about setting remote workforce goals?
Therefore, such changes in work style and technology also necessitates changes in the way employees are managed today. Remote managers today have fine-tuned themselves in such a way that they are making sure their team is a lot more productive than in office, reaching goals successfully while leading flexible lifestyles. What makes this up-and-coming is intentional communication and a certain amount of trust on the team members.
This whole process can work seamlessly, given that there is proper goal setting involved. Setting crystal clear goals involving specific parameters, set times for check-ins and evaluations, can help managers lead remote teams efficiently.
The following section provides details best practices for setting remote workforce goals. Feel free to customize them as per the business and organizational requirements.
While setting goals, the very first thing that needs to be decided is, what are the key results. Set aside some time so that you can have a discussion with your remote team members about their personal and professional goals. At the same time, as their manager, you would need to outline the team goals, both short-term and long-term – OKRs per say. So, when they have these outcomes on their minds, they will know what to deliver and you will be at peace knowing that they are working towards a tangible goal that will help the organisation grow.
Also read: 3 Factors To Remember When Setting Employee Goals
Professor Robert S. Rubin belonging to Saint Louis University penned down about SMART in an article for The Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology. If you wish to make sure that your goals are clear and achievable, it’s important that they stick to these specifications. Each of them should be,
Certain other authors have included Evaluated and Reviewed to make things SMARTER. Let us now understand what exactly it means to frame SMARTER goals.
Specific – When you are specifying goals, they should have the answers to the 5Ws – what do you wish to achieve, why is it important, who all will help you get there, when is it required and where are the resources and limitations.
Measurable – Only when a goal is measurable, the progress is easily trackable. Gaging progress helps employees stay motivated, as every step makes them feel that they are another step closer to the finishing line. When it comes to remote teams, tying goals to measurable objectives pushes them to achieve.
Achievable – Of course a goal needs to be set in such a way, that it stretches the team potential. But that does not mean, you should go overboard with it. Make sure when you are setting goals, you know the difference between what is realistic and what is not.
Relevant – Sometimes as managers, we tend to get carried away and set goals that may not be a priority for the organisation in the near future. So, it’s important to ask some of these questions – Is it a priority? Is it the right time? Is it supported by the current market scenario? Goal setting becomes a lot easier when you are able to answer these questions.
Time-bound – A goal has to have a deadline. Your team will not have the drive to achieve it otherwise. Indefinite goals tend to give the feeling that it can be achieved anytime, so it’s not a priority. Even if it’s a long-term goal, it’s imperative to give it a date of closure.
Once you have set the goals for you remote employees, it does not mean the process of goal setting ends there. Reviewing progress on a regular basis, not only keeps things on track, it also allows you to understand whether you are going in the right direction. It may happen that after few weeks of into working towards a goal, you realise that this goal won’t really take your team where you want to go. There is no harm in changing tracks. But in order to understand that, you need to review the goals often.
Also read: A Guide to Stay Productive While Working Remotely
Alternatively, you can opt to use a goal setting software, that would ease out the whole process for you. Engagedly uses one of the most universally popular methodology for goal setting: Objectives and Key Results (OKRs) and can help your team create, track and analyse goals in real time. If you wish to know more, just fill in the form below and give us a shout.
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