The definition of goals should be a constant in any company, so that both management and employees know in which direction to go to ensure organizational success.

While everyone is hitting their targets, the company is experiencing a climate of happiness. However, when targets aren't met, the reflection begins: did we do something wrong, or were the targets set without a proper method?

In today's post, you'll learn how to handle the situation and come out on top. Check it out!

Goal setting: what for?

Running an organization without very clear goals is like taking a car out for a drive with no set destination. At some point, you might run out of gas, lose your co-pilot, and have the engine overheat.

Goals serve to guide the company's actions, establishing milestones that help evaluate the growth and evolution of the venture. This can occur at the strategic, tactical, and operational levels.

Systematic follow-up – and its respective partial results – is what guarantees the achievement of goals. In this regard, the entire organization must be involved and motivated to achieve these small, but valuable objectives.

We didn't hit the target, now what?

Goals should be tangible and based on numbers x time. For example: acquire 10 more% clients each month; reduce hiring costs by 15% in the next 6 months; and so on.

If you set your goals generically, like “acquire more clients,” this could be the reason your company fails to meet its targets. After all, what “more clients” means to you doesn't mean the same thing to others.

Another reason that could have affected your results is your team's interpretation of the goals. If they are seen as the enemy, just one more demand among the many that are already expected daily, then you have a problem.

Goals should be stimulating and motivate people to overcome their own challenges. Avoid pitting departments or professionals against each other, as everyone should be aligned and working in synergy to contribute to the company's success.

Furthermore, it's possible you're managing goals incorrectly. Goals can be unattainable, for instance. When setting them, you need to consider the company's history and build up step by step.

Does your company look for scapegoats?

In some companies, goals are not only seen as an additional obligation, but they also serve as a basis for pointing out mistakes, never successes. In other words, if the goal is met, it was no more than people's duty; if not, everyone is to blame, and this becomes a nuisance.

If you notice your company treats goals this way, here's another reason why goal achievement shouldn't be your team's number one priority.

Analyzing beyond the results

In addition to checking whether a goal has been met or not and the reasons for it, it is important for the company to create a culture of developing corrective and/or preventive actions so that the result in the next period will be different from the current one.

In strategic management software, for example, whenever a goal is not met, the person responsible for the goal must perform a Fact-Cause-Action analysis and then propose actions with deadlines so that the situation can be reversed the following month. Those above the responsible person in the hierarchy receive an alert that there is a monitoring report with the reasons for not meeting the goal and the planned actions, and they follow the development, even being able to help think of other ways to create a positive outcome.

Other ways to reverse the situation

Review your goals. Are they clear? Have they been communicated to everyone? Are they achievable? Focus directly on the areas with the highest incidence of failures, aiming to identify where the company has failed to fulfill its role.

The next step is to brainstorm with your team. If the achievements are for everyone, so are the failures. Avoid judging any person or team for not meeting goals. Establish an open dialogue where the feedback be constructive and contribute to the successful achievement of new goals.

It's worth noting the difference between individual and collective goals. When a goal depends on a single person and is within what they can accomplish, it's easier to hold them accountable for not achieving it.

Also see our article on shared goals

On the other hand, collective goals depend on the interaction between two or more people, which is not as simple as it seems. In this regard, it is up to the company to promote integration among employees, train them so that everyone has the same conditions to develop good work, and monitor individual performance and collective often.

It's also possible to take an optimistic stance regarding this barrier, uniting your team around greater purposes. Motivate, encourage, and always keep your goals in sight. This way, no one will forget their duties.

Controlling goals is a detailed job that requires time and dedication. Therefore, if you want to do things right next time, be sure to rely on a strategic management software!