Empowerment and Goal Setting - Essay Example

Importance of goal setting

            According to the studies conducted by Greasley et al. (2008), the task of goal setting involves establishing goals that are specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, and time-targeted of which most authors commonly abbreviate as S.M.A.R.T goals. According to Greasley et al. (2008), the task of goal setting is the first key step towards the achievement of the goals, and goals that are specific usually improve performance, unlike goals that are not specific.

            In the business context, O'Hare and Kudrle (2007) noted that goal setting is important in that it encourages employees to put more effort into their individual tasks since what is expected from them is clearly defined and therefore, there are high chances that less effort will be noticed since the set expectations would not be achieved.

            Secondly, it will be important for the manager in charge of the local division to set goals because, through the set goals, the managers will be able to monitor keenly the progress of an employee on the assigned tasks. This is possible because goals equally act as self-regulatory mechanisms that guide employees while performing tasks that have been assigned to them (O'Hare and Kudrle, 2007).

            Thirdly, Greasley et al. (2008) stated that goal setting is important in any organizational set-up as it acts as a tool of motivation since the goals establish the level where employees can achieve self-satisfaction with their individual and team efforts. Greasley et al. (2008) further elaborated on this fact by stating that the achievement of a set goal within a department or the entire organization is a measure of success for the organization and its employees, who will be equally motivated by the attainment of the set goals.

How strategic planning increases a team’s productivity

            In reference to the writings by Kormanski (1999), strategic planning is defined as the process whereby an organization establishes the direction it will take or the strategy it will apply and decisions it will adopt on resource allocation while implementing the strategy. It is important to note that the strategic planning process involves analyzing the current position of the organization and then identifying possible avenues that the organization can exploit.

            Strategic planning is able to increase a team’s productivity by focusing the team’s efforts on the available opportunities, which can improve organizational performance. Secondly, strategic planning increases a team’s productivity as it sets the deadline for the team to achieve certain goals. Based on the deadlines that are established through strategic planning a team is motivated to do tasks efficiently by the set deadline. Thirdly, through strategic planning, a team is able to become more productive since it will be more result-oriented and they will be working towards getting things done. Fourthly, through strategic planning, an organization is able to focus on developing its workforce’s skills and this further increases the productivity of a team (Kormanski, 1999).