Frequently Asked Questions about
Results-Oriented Job Objectives
Here are questions you might have in mind about Results-Oriented Job Objectives.
- Who should write job objectives?
- The best way is for a manager and employee to fashion them together. This way employee’s become more motivated to accomplish desired results because they had a part in shaping them. Of course, when the organization sets off in a certain direction, Job Objectives may simply have to be assigned to employees.
- When should job objectives be written?
- Job Objectives are generally written as a part of the organization planning process. In reality, they can be written anytime new demands arise. Think of establishing Job Objectives as a natural mindset: Problems occur and opportunities present themselves; an objective is set to solve the problem or to take advantage of the opportunity.
- How many job objectives should an employee be held accountable for?
- There is no magic number, and you should not restrict yourself to some sort of formula. In general, however, one, two or several Job Objectives should keep an employee occupied and focused.
- Can a job objective be written for a responsibility outside of the employee’s job description?
- Sure it can; it’s called job or personal growth.
- When should progress be measured toward expected results?
- Most organizations work on some sort of a an appraisal schedule to ensure that all activities get attention—and to make sure that the appraisals occur. The better answer is that work toward Job Objectives should be appraised at the natural cycles and milestones of the effort toward accomplishing the Job Objective.
- Isn’t a job objective the same thing as Management by Objectives (MBO)?
- Yes, it is the same philosophy, which is: agree on objectives that need to be accomplished, write them down, and work toward them. Peter Drucker was the most notable proponent of this style of management. Beware, however, of so-called objectives erroneously setting behaviors or processes as targets, such as, “Improve interpersonal relations with customers.” These “objectives” fail to include the result that the behaviors or processes are intended to produce, which, in the above example, might be: “Understand purchasing preferences by improving interpersonal relations with customers.”