Meetings

Do you have Goal Setting and Review meetings? If not, then you should. These are perhaps one of the most high impact meeting types there are, but only if you do them effectively. This blog is here to help with that!

Here you can find an outline of what a Goal Setting and Review meeting is and some tips on making them effective.

What is a Goal Setting and Review Meeting?

A Goal Setting and Review meeting is a one-on-one meeting that you have with the people that report directly to you. Then they have them with the people that report to them and so on down the line.

In this meeting, you set goals with your direct reports for the week coming up and ensure that their goals are aligned with the objectives of your team and the company as a whole.

“Team goals need to align with the aim of the company or organization. While these are going to mirror individual goals in many ways, team goals will be much larger and broader in scope. Some constraints need to be taken into account when setting team goals. These include the amount of time, the company budget, and the resources that the organization has available.” – Docket

What to Focus On

Goal Setting and Review meetings are meant to be a blend of direction, development, and support. They’re not an opportunity to task things or do project follow ups. It is only thirty to sixty minutes every week, so you need to keep focus.

The main purpose of this meeting is for you to coach your team members one-on-one, demonstrating to them how to be more effective in their roles. Keep the focus on that. It’s also a meeting where a lot of ‘situational leadership,’ an idea developed by Ket Blanchard and Paul Hersey, gets used.

“[Situational leadership] is when a leader adjusts their type of leadership to best suit a particular situation or task.” – Indeed

Why is it Important?

Done right, Goal Setting and Review meetings eliminate 80% of the emails between you and your direct reports during the week. How is this possible?

Instead of emailing each other with random questions and ideas, you add those to a list that will be discussed at the Goal Setting and Review meeting. This saves you both tons of time during the week. Needless to say, it also saves a lot of frustration caused by the miscommunication that occurs in email.

“Owners and managers are responsible for the goal-setting process as they are the leaders in the organization and tasked with maximizing the return of stakeholders vested in the company. The goal-setting process puts everyone on the same page and defines how to accomplish the goals.” – Bizfluent

If you’re not routinely meeting with your direct reports on a weekly basis for Goal Setting and Review meetings or something similar, then start today! You’re sure to see improvements very quickly.

If you have questions or would like more information, I’d be happy to help. Please send an email, and my team will get in touch with you!

Editor’s Note: This post was originally published in August 2011 and has been edited for accuracy and comprehensiveness.