Getting commitment

For an objective to be successful, the employee must want to achieve it and believe they can do so.

It helps if people understand why their objectives have been set. This means:

• Communicating:
  • the team/departmental/University aims that the objectives will contribute to
  • the importance and relevance of the objectives
  • the importance and relevance of the individual's contribution
• Discussing:
  • any concerns or objections
  • their ideas on what can be achieved and how

People are much more likely to meet agreed objectives if they trust and respect their manager and believe in what their team/department is trying to achieve. Managers can influence this directly by the way they behave (the examples they set) and the way they manage their staff.

The best way to get emotional as well as intellectual 'buy-in' is to try to agree objectives which satisfy personal needs as well as moving the team/department closer towards its goals. To do this, listen to the concerns and motivations of staff and see how you can tap into these to achieve desired outcomes.