are your managers goal setting or fire fighting?

Copyright 3C Associates Ltd | [email protected] | T: +44 (0) 1491 411 544

Goal Setting or Fire Fighting?How managers believe they create value


Whenever we talked to OD & HR teams about goal settingwe got similar answers – “the managers won’t/don’t/can’tset goals effectively.”

Setting goals is widely known to improve performance – sowhat’s the problem?

We set out to do a little research ourselves…


We asked a selection of managers how long they spend setting goals

75% told us they DON’T BOTHER to set goals – becausethey fight fires instead.

“Many of my recent jobs have had the description: ‘I put out fires.’How do you write that up as a goal with measureable metrics?”Electronics engineer & project Leader, medical devices industry


So we asked managers why they don’t set goals…

“We often say, work smarter not harder, but the smart people, whowork as a team, who collaborate, get their work done within their working day, and never have fires to fight, are not the ones who get rewarded. How stupid is that?” Electronics Engineer, large consulting firm


They were blunt…

• Because they think their jobs change so fast that there is no point setting goals

• Because they think goals don’t add value• Because it’s too difficult• Because it takes too long

“Honest, it's not just programmers being difficult to manage. What we do for a living is not at all repeatable, we are always creating brand new stuff out of pure thought and creativity, and it's very hard to measure.”Software engineering manager


Of those that DO write goals…

…over 50% spend 1-2 hours per employee!

Hours spent pe r e mployee writing goals for pe rformance rev iewsM ay 2011

0 10 20 30 40 50 60

Les s than 30 m inutes

30 m ins - 1 hour

1-2 hours

m ore than 2 hours

% o f res ponden ts


We then asked HR and OD professionals how long themanagers in their organisation spend setting and writinggoals.

The MAJORITY do not know how much time is invested ingoal setting in their organisation.


Some managers think goal setting actually reduces performance

“If teamwork and innovation are important, then individualgoals and objectives are worse than a waste of time.”


Even when they do set goals, managers ensure people aren’t held to account too much!

“There is a great sense of achievement when goals are metbut we do not let them become everything. Businesspriorities still take precedence and if that prevents peoplefrom achieving goals we give an alternative route to the potof money!” Marketing Manager – software company


Summary

Organisations generally expect people to be set goals withor by their manager

Organisations have very little idea of how much time,energy and thought this process requires to make iteffective and valuable

Managers are voting with their feet and avoiding settinggoals wherever possible


And yet…

…all research evidence shows that without effective goalsetting:

• performance falters• motivation drops off• results decline


How do we help fire fighters become goal setters?

If it were easy, all organisations would already have fully effective goals for all their people


But it can be done

“…you’ve transformed our approach to goal setting”

“I feel so much more confident now”

“…at last we’ve got an approach that our managers canactually use”

3C …putting managers at the heart of Performance Management

are your managers goal setting or fire fighting?

Leadership & Management