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Goal Setting

Three Types of Goals

Goals describe what you are setting out to accomplish, what success looks like, specific actions that will be taken, and how success is measured.

Job-Related Goals

Job-related goals, also known as expectations, define key responsibilities of the job that are critical for individual success and have the greatest impact to individual and team achievements.

Stretch Goals

Stretch goals go beyond basic job expectations and can be incremental and continuous improvements to existing processes, new projects, or opportunities that are undefined in the job profile.

Development Goals

Development goals describe the knowledge, skills and experiences that an employee need in order to increase effectiveness in their current role or to support the achievement of career goals.

How to Make Effective Goals

  • Set Goals Every Spring

    The goal setting process takes place between April 1st and June 30th. Starting in the spring, managers meet with their direct reports to discuss job expectations and goals for the coming year. Goals and expectations are recorded in the online performance documents on My HR Connection.

    For new hires, managers should discuss goals and expectations within two months of hire. New Full-Time Continuing staff can record their goals in the online performance document. New limited term staff are not required to complete the performance development cycle, but they can keep track of their goals using a goal setting template.

  • Focus on Alignment

    When discussing goals, try to connect them to goals of your team, faculty or unit, but don't delay goal setting until broader developmental planning is complete. If necessary, you can easily change, add or remove goals to stay aligned. Plan to revisit your goals every few months to ensure you're still on track and make adjustments as needed.

    "Smarter" Goals

    Use the SMARTER goal-setting framework to develop goals that are clearly defined and achievable.

Sample Goals

Below is an example of a Wellness goal that can be used during your annual performance development goal setting.

Job Aids: Goal Setting Conversation Task: 

Resources for Goal Setting

The following resources can be used to learn more about goal setting:

The following resources were designed specifically with limited-term employees in mind: