Media Helping Media

It is important that media managers set objectives for their staff. There will be organisation-wide objectives, unit objectives (newsroom, technical, sales, marketing, etc.) and objectives set for the performance of individuals. This page deals with setting objectives for individual members of staff. For most staff, the personal objectives are the most important.

They need to know about the wider objectives, because you want them to grow and take more and more responsibility, but many staff will be eager to have clear and focused personal objectives, set by you, in order to help them contribute to their fullest.

Setting objectives

Many organisations use what are called SMART objectives:

• Specific (concrete, detailed, well-defined)
• Measurable (quantity, comparison)
• Achievable (feasible, actionable)
• Realistic (considering resources)
• Time-bound (a defined timeline)

Specific

The objective is concrete, detailed, focused and well defined. It is results and action-orientated. It must emphasise action and the required outcome. You will need to communicate clearly what you would like to see happen. Interestingly, some of the basic questions used everyday by journalists will help you staff understand the first of the SMART objectives; What, Why, Who, When and How.

• 'What'' am I going to do?

• ''Why'' is this important for me to do?
• ''Who'' is going to do what? Who else need to be involved?
• ''When'' do I want this to be completed?
• ''How'' am I going to do this?

Achievable

There is no point setting an objective if the member of staff is unable to achieve it. If it is set too far in the future you will also find it difficult to motivate staff, and they will find it difficult to attain. Check the following questions:

• Can we get it done in the proposed timeframe?
• Do I understand the limitations and constraints?
• Can we do this with the resources we have?
• Has anyone else done this successfully?
• Is this possible?

Realistic

Realistic means having the resources to get the job done. However, while it’s important to keep objectives realistic, they must still stretch. Ask these questions:

• Do the resources exist to make this happen?
• Will other priorities suffer?
• What needs to give?
• What needs to be achieved?

Measurable

It is sometimes said that if you can’t measure something, you can’t manage it. Measurements help you know whether you are achieving your objective. Ask these questions:

• How will I know that the change has occurred?
• Can these measurements be obtained?
• Who is doing the calculations?
• Are they aware of all the issues involved?

Time-bound

Objectives are all about deadlines. Without deadlines things slip. Deadlines are also important for motivation and urgency. Ask these questions:

• When will this objective be accomplished?
• Is there a stated deadline?
• Why is the deadline there?
• Is it realistic?

 

The author of this piece, David Brewer, is a journalist and media strategy consultant who set up and runs this site, Media Helping Media. He delivers media strategy training and consultancy services worldwide and his business details are at Media Ideas International Ltd. He tweets @helpingmedia.