4 Characteristics of Effective Goals and Objectives
Characteristics of Appropriate Goals and Objectives
1 less is more
2 tie measure the to drivers
3 don't just measure the past
4 take stakeholders into account
5 cascade goals into objectives
6 simplify
7 adapt
8 base objectives on facts
Let’s walk through each of these criteria to gain a better understanding of these desirable characteristics of organizational goals and objectives. It is useful here to start by recognizing that goals, objectives, and measures are different animals. As explained at the beginning of this chapter, goals tend to be general statements, whereas objectives are specific and time bound. Measures are the indicators used to assess achievement of the objective. In some cases, a goal, an objective, and a measure can be the same thing, but more often you will set a goal, have a few objectives underlying that goal, and then one or more measures for each of the objectives.