As a manager, it is not only your job to ensure that your company’s goals are met, but it is also your job to help your employees reach personalized goals that will not only contribute to the company’s betterment, but also to their individual job satisfaction. There are steps you can take to aide in goal setting and accomplishment. Here are some suggestions for setting both short-term and long-term goals for employee growth:

Evaluate each employee individually. Goal setting is never one size fits all. Each of your employees has their own set of strengths, weaknesses, experiences, and skills. These are the things you need to factor in when it comes to setting appropriate, accomplishable goals. Take the time to sit down and evaluate each employee individually, then decide how that employee fits in to the overall goals of the company and determine goals from there.

Begin with long-term goals. Once you identify long-term goals, it is much easier to determine which short-term goals fit inside of the bigger picture to help move it along. As a matter of fact, most, if not all, of your employees’ short-term goals should be within the context of progressing toward long-term goals. Therefore, by listing long-term goals and then breaking them into smaller steps, you are able to specify goals for both the short and long term, at the same time.

Put it on paper. Create a goal plan for each of your employees. Create the plans with your employees’ help, and have your employees sign off on them. Not only does this create organization and accountability, but it also documents everything in case there are issues with reaching those goals down the line.

Outline the specifics. In addition to putting goals on paper, you also need to be specific about goal time frames, the methods with which you will measure goal success, and the ways in which you will monitor employee performance for meeting goals. Any employee review measures and success barometers you use need to be included in the goal plan.

Be flexible. If you find that your employees are having a difficult time reaching their goals, then you need to evaluate the causes. It may be that the goals or timeframes are unrealistic, or that your employees need more support. Be flexible when it comes to revising goals to be more reflective of reality.

Setting short-term and long-term employee goals is a process. Don’t expect that it will be simple or easy, but do expect that your hard work and diligence will pay off. Follow these tips to help your employees set both short and long term goals, and then watch those goals come to fruition.

About the Author: Allan Joynt is a manager in a virtual PBX sales office. He loves working with his employees to help them set paths for advancement, even it it means they’ll one day leave his team.