The Importance Of Goal Oriented Management

Introduction Nearly every organization will involve some amount of goal-oriented management into their strategy to create a focused atmosphere. According to an article by Tyler Lacoma of Demand Media, “goal-orientation is the degree to which a person or organization focuses on the task or the end results of those tasks.” Because most organizations use some kind of goal-oriented management to figure out how to approach the way they do business, it is often seen as something that doesn’t need to be looked at in greater detail. If a business truly pursues a goal-oriented approach, the consequences can be significant (Whitestein, 3). Why is goal-oriented management so important? Don VandeWalle, a professor at SMU Cox, says, “goal-orientation influences

This paper will discuss goal-orientation on a strategic level and management level, how to implement specific techniques that will insure a high degree of goal-orientation within an organization, and how goal-orientation has affected the

These goals need to be “SMART”. SMART goals is a term George Doran used in an article he posted called “There’s a S.M.A.R.T. Way to Write Management’s Goals and Objectives. This acronym stands for Specific, Measurable, Aggressive, Realistic, Time-Bound (Doran, 35-36). If a manager gives an employee a task, but it does not meet the “SMART” requirements, there is a strong chance the employee will not be able to reach that goal in an efficient way. The manager needs to make sure the goal is specific. If the goal is not clearly stated, or if the goal is misunderstood by the employee, then it may not be accomplished. The goal must also be measurable. There needs to be a way for the employee to show progress with the task at hand, it is tough to complete a task if there isn’t a tangible way to know if the goal is being completed. The goal needs to be attainable for the individual. The employee should have the right resources and knowledge to get the task done. This correlates with the realistic aspect of SMART goals. If the task given is not realistic, the employee may become frustrated when they cannot possibly reach the goal. Lastly, the manager should assign the employee a time-frame to complete the task, this will motivate the employee to complete the task at the highest level of efficiency