Help your employees achieve their goals

Managers should always help their employees achieve their goals. It assists with morale, and makes them feel confident in themselves and their work. It’s easy to set goals at the start of a new year. We all know people who go head over heels for a new diet or fitness regimen in January only to putter out by mid-February. And career goals can be the same. As a manager, it can be disheartening and frustrating to watch your employees struggle with or even give up on their career goals. Here’s how to help your employees achieve their goals. 

Get to know them 

Have a rapport with your employees so that they’ll openly share their career ambitions with you. If you open up and share your goals and your progress, your employees might be more inspired to take their goals seriously. That trust will allow them to open up and come to you when they have a problem or setback in pursuit of their goals. You can help them problem-solve and provide the resources they need to achieve their goals. Then, work with them to make sure their goals are attainable in a reasonable amount of time.  

Convince them they matter 

And not just that they matter, but that their success and development is essential to you and the company. This means that you have to acknowledge they might not work for you forever—if they’re genuinely ambitious and successful, they might eventually move on. But if you can convey sincere interest and support, they’ll be more likely to work harder for you while they’re with you. And they might even repay you with increased loyalty. 

Provide resources 

Your employees can’t be successful if they don’t have access to the right tools, training, and information. Ask them what they need and find a way to help them get it, even if it means stretching the budget a tad. When they feel supported, they’ll work harder and feel more confident about their abilities and likelihood of success.  

Inquire about progress 

Each time you meet with your employees on an individual basis, ask how they’re going with their goals. If they know you’re going to check-in, they’ll make sure they have something positive and noteworthy to report each time.  

Make it a team activity 

Create a positive, upbeat company culture so that your employees are supporting and encouraging one another in their pursuit of goals. Reward and praise both individual and group accomplishments to foster a sense of cooperation and teamwork. When people are having fun and feeling optimistic, their energy will carry over into every little task. Even if it’s something very casual, like a simple conversation about personal goals at the beginning of a meeting, it’s an excellent way to stimulate some motivating shots in the arm from coworkers.  

For more tips on helping your employees achieve their goals, check out our blog!