In this article we are going to focus on setting SMART (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Time-Bound) Goals for your team’s overall growth.
We all want to grow personally, as well as professionally. As a leader, it is your responsibility to focus on your team members’ growth as well as a career development plan. While working on the plan, the standard questions that you must consider are:
- What do we need to accomplish this year? How will I contribute to that?
- How can I contribute to the business achieving its goals?
- What skills do I need to acquire to do a better job? How can I improve those skills?
- What resources are needed to achieve this goal?
- How will progress be measured?
- How realistic is this goal?
Encourage your teams to consider realistic goals as well as goals that require the employee to learn something new or be challenged. Meanwhile, you should consider where each person is in their career.
Someone two years from retirement will have different goals from a person with only five years of work experience. The employees’ goals should be compliant with business and departmental needs and help the individuals grow as a professional.
It’s important that you and your employees talk regularly about what progress they’re making toward their year-end goals. A SMART career development plan differentiates itself by being a living document.
At its best, a SMART career development plan will reveal what you and your team need to do to accomplish your departmental and individual goals.