Drive Work Goals at Mid-Year

It’s already August! I don’t know about you, but this year is absolutely flying by. It seems like yesterday I was sitting down with my team to establish their goals for the year, and now I’m staring down Labor Day weekend! How does that happen? I guess it’s true – time move faster with each year that passes.

Not that I’m old, but I am seasoned enough to tell you that now is the time to check in with team members about progress toward their goals.

We’re at the half-way point, so they’ve had time to work on the goals.

• If things are off-track there’s still time to make changes before the end of the year.
• For those already on track to achieve their goals, it’s a great time to provide recognition and encouragement for continued progress.

Work Goals May Change

Last year I met year with one of my team members to talk about progress towards her goals. At the mid-year mark, I realized a goal we had set at the beginning of the year wasn’t as clearly defined as I thought, and a goal that seemed really important in January was no longer a priority. We took the time to clarify expectations (being careful not to change the “rules” mid-stream) and, as necessary, re-prioritize goals.

Lesson learned? Addressing issues now, whether related to unclear goals or performance that’s below expectations, is way better than waiting until the end of the year when it is too late to change the outcome.

Prepare for Work Goals Conversations

Something else I’ve learned along the way - these mid-year check ins are more effective when I take the time to prepare for the meeting. My prep typically includes answering the following questions:

• What has the employee accomplished so far this year that I want to reinforce through recognition and/or celebration?
• What are the goals for this employee and are they still relevant?
• Is the employee on track to meet the goals? If not, what are my concerns?
• What obstacles may the employee be encountering and how can I coach/support the employee to overcome the obstacles?
• Is there any constructive feedback I can provide that will give the employee helpful insights on how their performance can be improved?
• Do any of the goals need to be modified?

Being prepared ensures I’m focused on the employee, aware of their performance to-date, and have ideas of how I can support their performance moving forward. Then, in the meeting, I can focus on the employee and what they are saying.

Invest the time – I’m glad I did. Mid-year check ins can set the stage for a successful second half of the year and help avoid unpleasant surprises at year-end.

I’m having these conversations with my team members over the next few weeks, and I encourage you to do the same. And once the check ins are done, I’m heading outside to enjoy the last days of summer before it’s gone!