Companies use “goal management” for a variety of purposes, such as improving business performance and operational efficiency. Goal management is important in organizational management and administration because it has the advantage of facilitating the process of achievement and evaluation.
Many companies use interviews to review, evaluate, and manage progress in goal management. So, what is the purpose of interviews in goal management?
In this article, we will discuss what tends to go wrong when conducting interviews in goal management, and the key points to make them successful.
Interviews are important in goal management!
Interviewing is an essential part of goal management. With goal setting that simply sets goals, it is difficult to objectively determine why the goals were achieved or not achieved and make improvements.
Therefore, in MBO (Management by Objectives), not only goal setting but also “management” becomes important.
MBO is an evaluation system that aims to improve the performance of each employee by incorporating the company’s management strategy and goal setting into each department and team, and further reflecting them in individual goals.
In MBO, it is important to conduct interviews between supervisors (managers) and subordinates. There are two types of interviews, one of which is the “evaluation interview“.
One of the two types of interviews is the evaluation interview. The purpose of the evaluation interview is to get the subordinate to accept and approve the evaluation by the supervisor. If the subordinate’s work and contributions are evaluated fairly, and the evaluation is reflected in the appointment to important positions and treatment such as salary, the subordinate will be highly motivated.
In order to conduct an appropriate evaluation that subordinates can accept at the evaluation interview, an objective basis based on facts and results is necessary.
Another type of interview in goal management is the goal setting interview. Contrary to the evaluation interview, the goal-setting interview aims to approve the goals set by subordinates.
The supervisor determines whether the goals set are consistent with the goals of the team, department, or the company as a whole, and whether they are appropriate for the subordinate’s own abilities.
It can be said that interviews in goal management are important for managing the process of setting and achieving goals.
Mistakes that supervisors tend to make in goal management interviews
In this section, we will introduce some of the mistakes that supervisors tend to make during goal management interviews. In order to manage goals properly, it is important to take measures to reduce the number of mistakes.
It’s a one-way street from the boss
“One of the most common failures in interviews is that the supervisor prepares one-way answers and guides the interviewee. Interviews that force subordinates to give answers that have been prepared in advance will fail to bring out the best in them. .
In addition, listening to your subordinate talk only about the specifics in the interview is also a distraction from the original purpose of the interview.
Since it is important to know “how to draw out the true feelings” from subordinates, it is necessary to take an approach that draws out the words of the subordinates themselves, rather than just the pretense. Especially in the case of subordinates who are not good at talking or asserting themselves, it is important to approach the elicitation carefully.
The key point is whether the subordinate will think spontaneously, which will lead to his or her growth. In the interviews in goal management, the supervisor must elicit thoughts, ideas, and points for reflection in the subordinate’s own words, and give the subordinate an opportunity to grow.
They end up talking about their personal lives or just chatting
During interviews, we sometimes try to ease the tension of our subordinates by talking about our personal lives or making small talk. However, if we forget the original purpose of the interview, we may not be able to set and evaluate goals properly.
The purpose of the interview in goal management is to improve the growth and development of subordinates and business processes through the approval of goal setting and evaluation.
Therefore, when incorporating private conversations or chats as a cushion to the conversation, care must be taken not to expand the conversation too much.
In order not to lose the focus of the conversation, it is better to be aware that the main actor of the interview is the subordinate and focus on eliciting the subordinate’s true feelings and opinions.
Key points for successful interviews in goal management
As mentioned earlier, the key to success in goal management interviews is how to elicit the spontaneous thoughts of subordinates.
Here, I will introduce interviews that help subordinates grow and points for successful interviews.
Make sure to listen attentively
In interviews, it is important to be aware of the importance of listening attitudes, with the main focus on getting subordinates to talk. It is effective to read the subordinate’s feelings through his or her attitude, facial expressions and gestures.
By listening to what your subordinate has to say while giving appropriate affirmation and agreement, you can create an atmosphere in which it is easy to talk.
At this time, it is a good idea to listen to the subordinate’s opinion until the end and give necessary advice without interrupting the conversation with opinions or objections.
Give hints for solutions
Supporting subordinates to solve problems on their own is another important objective of the interview.
Solving problems on their own will help subordinates experience success and give them high motivation and confidence to overcome problems and obstacles.
The important thing is to give hints, not answers, to solve problems. However, it is important to provide reassurance through support, rather than letting the subordinate solve the problem completely on his or her own.
By guiding them to a successful experience and giving them a sense of security, the supervisor will be able to build a relationship of trust.
Provide continuity
It is also important to continue the issues and themes in the interview. It is also a good idea to measure the effectiveness of how you approached the previous issue.
If there is continuity in the issues and themes, it will prevent subordinates from following up halfway, and it will make the supervisor’s comments more consistent. If the supervisor’s comments change from one interview to the next, the subordinate may become confused.
It is also important to support the setting of goals so that subordinates can experience growth through repeated interviews and growth leads to the next challenge.
In this way, if there is continuity in the interviews, it will be easier for subordinates to realize their own growth, and this will help to draw out their motivation.
Clarify the gaps
Making subordinates aware of the gap between their own evaluation and objective evaluation is another important point in interviews.
In goal management interviews, it is necessary to show the difference between self-evaluation or self-awareness and the evaluation by the supervisor. There are many cases where the subordinate’s own perception is that he or she is “doing well” but it does not match the assessment of the people around him or her.
Nevertheless, it is also important to make them understand exactly what they are doing when making them aware of the gap. If they underestimate their own abilities, they will be reluctant to take on new challenges.
If you notice any gaps in your subordinates, tell them and let them know exactly what they are capable of, which will help them grow.
Prepare a story
At the interview, it is also important to prepare topics of conversation to make the conversation go smoothly. To ease the tension of your subordinates and draw them into a positive dialogue, you can include topics other than work.
It is also effective to casually ask your subordinates about their health, family, relationships in the workplace, and other problems they are facing.
It is also important to prepare points of praise for your subordinate in advance. Pick out what was particularly good about their recent activities and actively praise them during the interview. It is also a good idea to pick up not only the achievements against the goals but also the efforts made to achieve them.
In order to find points to praise, it is necessary to grasp the efforts of subordinates on a regular basis and accurately grasp their progress.
The goal management tool Goalous allows you to smoothly manage your subordinates’ progress and goals.
With the photo action function, subordinates can easily send out what they have challenged or worked on, allowing supervisors and colleagues to react flexibly. The ability to immediately check and evaluate the actions and progress of subordinates will make it easier to hold interviews with them.
The subordinates being managed can also see in real time what other employees are doing, which makes it easier for them to become more aware of what they are doing as part of the team, leading to higher engagement in the organization as a whole.
As a tool that can streamline goal management, including interviews, I highly recommend Goalous.
Summary
Interviews in goal management are an important initiative to promote the growth of subordinates. However, it is difficult for supervisors to accurately grasp the abilities and work status of multiple subordinates, as they also have their own normal duties.
In order to manage goals efficiently, it is recommended to use business goal management tools. Make sure you have a system in place that allows you to smoothly grasp the status of your subordinates, and provide them with solid advice during interviews.
