10 Examples of Performance Goals for Managers to Set Now

When Your Team’s Performance Is Critical For Success

Having managed countless individuals and teams during my business career, it’s time to share my top examples of performance goals for managers.

Because as a manager, building and sustaining high-performing teams is the foundation for your personal development plan. And, more importantly, getting results.

So let’s get moving, so you can get the desired results you deserve…

Examples of Performance Goals for Managers

Here is my top 10 list of professional development goals for managers that lead to powerful results…

  • Build a strong team
  • Put your team in the right structure
  • Be a great coach and mentor
  • Provide constructive feedback
  • Establish accountability
  • Motivate your team
  • Plan for career paths and succession
  • Run effective team meetings
  • Improve your function’s productivity
  • Improve the business you serve

Now, let’s go through each of these points one by one…

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1. Build A Strong Team

As a business manager, goal number 1 is to identify, hire, and retain the best people.

In this area, your job performance goals and objectives should focus on:

  • Hiring
  • Onboarding
  • Training
  • Retaining
  • Purging

Let’s discuss each of these points…

Team Building Performance Goals And Objectives For Managers

Hire. You must identify, attract and hire the best talent.

Onboard. After hiring, put a plan in place to bring new employees up to speed quickly.

Train. Offer the right training for each individual.

This should include both on-the-job training and more formal measures through courses or seminars.

Retain. Turnover is costly.

Keep your thumb on the pulse and make sure your top performers are satisfied. Both with their jobs and work situation.

Purge. Addressing poor performers is critical.

Sometimes you have to move on and make a change. Because your bottom 20% of performers will create 80% of your management problems.

Most importantly, surround yourself with the best people possible. You and your business will benefit tremendously from this.

And whatever you do, don’t fall into the trap of hiring people you can control. Just because you feel they won’t threaten your authority.

That’s a loser’s game! A sure way to set yourself up for failure.

Okay. We are just getting warmed up here.

So, let’s move on to the second of our top 10 examples of performance goals for managers…

2. Put Your Team In The Right Structure

Now that you have the right people on your team. Performance goal number 2 as a team leader is to put them in the right organizational structure.

Because putting talented people in the wrong structure will frustrate everyone. So, to be an effective senior leader, structure your team and their responsibilities so they complement each other.

I can’t tell you exactly how to do this. Since I don’t know what you, your team, or the company you all work for.

What I will say is put your organization chart on paper. Then brainstorm ways you can better put the pieces together. Because you want to “make the whole greater than the sum of its parts.

When doing this exercise, I always ask this question:

How can I as a manager become irrelevant?

Meaning if I disappeared today, my team could run itself. Because I have the right people in the right structure.

Just a little “food for thought”, as the saying goes.

Moving on to the next of our work performance goals as a manager…

3. Be A Great Coach And Mentor

Every day look for opportunities to coach, mentor, train, and teach. Thus…

Become an outstanding educator. Because it is a must for every good manager. Always be on the lookout for “teaching moments”.

Mentoring Performance Goals For Managers

As a result, to coach and mentor, look for ways to…

  • Build trust and respect
  • Offer advice
  • Praise accomplishments
  • Promote learning
  • Get greater commitment
  • Have tough conversations

Okay. You may be getting the idea that many professional goals for managers focus on communication skills. Because they are critical for leaders.

As a result, you may benefit from an online course to enhance your communication techniques. Here’s one I like for becoming a better communicator right now.

Next, here is another area where you must be an outstanding communicator…

4. Provide Constructive Feedback

What you want to do is create a continuous feedback loop with your team members. Providing them with valuable input related to their performance review whenever and wherever possible.

First, look for areas where they are performing at a high level. Then be honest and sincere with your appreciation and praise.

Because “a little bit of honey” goes a long way to prompt a better effort moving forward. And more importantly, serves to soften the blow when you have to deliver constructive criticism.

Fortunately, your best employees will welcome a tough assessment of their performance. Looking at it as an opportunity to improve.

Only, and as long as, it is delivered with respect and with self-professional development goals in mind.

Furthermore, delivering constructive criticism is easier when you…

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5. Establish Accountability

Establish clear accountability for each of your team members. Also, the team as a whole.

Unfortunately, this is always easier said than done based on my experience because the business world is so fast-paced and fluid.

Thus, expectations can and should change quickly whenever necessary. Unfortunately, you will find that not every employee can handle this.

Accountability Performance Goals For Managers

However, here are a few tips for holding your team members accountable:

1-on-1 meetings with your staff members are a good way to establish and maintain accountability.

We will discuss meetings in a moment, but first…

6. Motivate Your Team

You must be a good motivator.

Because unmotivated teams are ineffective teams. Let’s just say there should be no “quiet quitting” under your watchful eye.

Fortunately, if you effectively pursue what we discussed thus far. This goal of business management comes easy.

Team Motivation Performance Goals For Managers

However, here are some additional employee performance and motivation tips to consider. As you work through your performance goal-setting for new managers or more experienced ones…

  • Create a nice work environment
  • Establish a winning culture
  • Offer remote work options
  • Encourage work-life balance
  • Set a good example
  • Be respectful
  • Offer sincere appreciation
  • Don’t micromanage
  • Ask for feedback
  • Encourage creativity
  • Promote inclusivity
  • Provide the right incentives

And here’s another important area that creates motivation. It requires long-term thinking on your part

7. Plan For Career Paths And Succession

Help your employees see and develop a career path.

Whether it is within your team, the company, or even in some cases at another employer.

As a resource, here is a great course on designing the perfect career path.

As part of this, be sure to think about succession planning.

Because as people move up or out, you need to know how you will their shoes. Either internally, or externally.

Next, back to the topic of communication and management skills…

8. Run Effective Meetings

One of the best goals for managers is running productive meetings. So, here are some of your biggest opportunities…

1-on-1 meeting with staff. As a manager, these meetings are a great way to keep your thumb on the pulse of what’s going on with your team members.

Staff meetings. Honestly, I was never a big staff meeting guy. Especially for teams with diverse responsibilities.

So, it’s a matter of personal style and managerial preference. Most importantly, if you run a staff meeting look for ways to make it useful. Not wasteful.

Cross-functional meetings. As a team manager, don’t operate in a silo. Look to effectively work across the organization whenever it makes sense.

Finally, every meeting, no matter how big or small should have a clear purpose. Second, it should have a concise agenda.

Please don’t be one of those managers that wastes people’s time in a lot of unnecessary or poorly planned meetings.

Next, yet another work performance goal for managers…

9. Improve Your Function’s Productivity

Now, with your entire team in place, accountability set, and good communication flowing, I want you to take a hard look at your function.

For example, my specific areas of responsibility include:

Regardless of what I do and no matter your function, you should…

Look at every process and every task. Ask yourself if it is necessary.

If it is not, eliminate it. On the other hand, if it is necessary, streamline it and make it more efficient.

Your priority is to…

Make sure you and your staff work on the right things. And do those things the right way.

Because achieving your performance management goals and objectives for a business depends on it.

Okay. So far, we have been focused on your team.

Because, as a manager, the effectiveness of your team is priority number 1.

However, there is much more to consider…

10. Improve The Business You Serve

Since your team exists to serve the business it operates within. So, do not forget about work performance goals and objectives that will move your company forward in meaningful ways.

Business-Related Performance Goals For Managers

Examples of business goals to consider include:

  • Improve product or service quality
  • Achieve higher on-time delivery
  • Increase customer satisfaction
  • Increase sales volumes
  • Optimize product and service pricing
  • Expand into a new geographic market
  • Develop new products or services
  • Reduce company expenses
  • Implement productivity improvements

Because when you can manage effectively and have a good team in place. You are well-positioned to impress the boss and help take your business to the next level.

Okay. That’s all I have for today.

So, allow me to wrap up with a few parting thoughts…

Examples of Performance Goals for Managers

One of my former bosses uses to say “lead, follow, or get out of the way”. As a manager, seeking to improve the performance of your team and your company, you must choose to lead!

So, look at setting one or more of these 10 performance goals for managers. And start leading your team to an elite level.

And for furthering your leadership skills, check out this online course on business leadership right now.

Finally, good luck, best wishes, and thanks for reading! And just a quick note, that you may benefit from our robust archives of articles about…

Setting Your Goals and Achieving Them

…feel free to check it out before you depart

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Author Bio: Tom Scott founded the consulting and coaching firm Dividends Diversify, LLC. He leverages his expertise and decades of experience in goal setting, relocation assistance, and investing for long-term wealth to help clients reach their full potential.

Performance Goals For Managers Explained (With Examples)