How do you set objectives?

Focus on the goals that you know you can achieve in the given time frame. Divide key results into smaller objectives. Before setting the objectives of your own program, you may want to review what peer support programs seek to achieve to consider what is realistic for these types of programs. Objectives are the stepping stones toward achieving a program goal.

Objectives are concise and specific statements that indicate what is being sought to change and why, in which target group, to what extent and when. Clear objectives are important in determining if your program is achieving what it set out to do. It is also important to write the objectives of the program as specifically as possible to provide clarity to the program and strong links to the evaluation. It's much easier to evaluate a program when clear objectives have been developed.

The objectives should specify what needs to be achieved. You must use a specific language, that is, indicate the problem, the target group, the time and place of the program. Specific also means that it is result-oriented and action-oriented. You should be able to measure if you are meeting the objective or not.

Be clear in your objectives about the time frame in which the expected changes to the program will take place. Have you thought about what you want to do in five years? Are you clear about your main objective at work right now? Do you know what you want to have achieved by the end of the day? An objective is a description of a goal that will be achieved in the future. It sets a clear direction and provides motivation. It's similar to a destination on a map.

Instead, carefully planned, clear and trackable objectives established within the SMART framework (specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and time-based) can help describe the steps needed to achieve a goal. By setting measurable and achievable goals, a supervisor can not only guide the improvement of employee performance, but can also actively help strengthen the company and improve its reputation as an employer of choice. In the past, they may have created vague or poorly designed goals, which tend to be overwhelming and set them up for failure to achieve their objectives.

Objectives and Key Results

(OKRs) are a popular approach for setting goals, implementing action plans, and monitoring results.

As mentioned above, goal setting can fail when the objective is too ambitious or unrealistic, given the employee's skill set and available resources.