What To Look For In A Goal Setting Software

by Srikant Chellappa Aug 6,2020
Engagedly
PODCAST

The People Strategy Leaders Podcast

with Srikant Chellappa, CEO

Our goals can only be reached through a vehicle of a plan, in which we must fervently believe, and upon which we must vigorously act. There is no other route to success.

—Pablo Picasso

Given that goal setting is such an important component of success, we have a crucial question for you. Have you given much thought to your goal setting software? On basic terms, it can help an organization create, manage and track goals across the board.

On the other hand, if you are looking for a goal-setting software, you should ask yourself this question. Other than creating and tracking goals, what else should the software accomplish? And more importantly, how can it become a valuable addition to your organization’s workflow?

Since its necessary to streamline your goal-setting process, we would like to help you kick-start it right here – 7 things you can look for in a goal-setting software. They will help you find one that not only suits all your needs but will also help augment performance management processes in the organization.

Also read: The Significance Of Having an HRM Software In Your Organization

Cascade goals

Goals cascade from top to down, like waterfalls. So the ability to cascade goals means sharing goals from one level of the organization to the next. For example, a CEO can cascade his goals down to his direct reports, from there, the top management and leaders can cascade their goals down to their direct reports. Its an intricate yet crucial method to reach success. It’s a feature that can help employees align their own goals with the organization’s objectives and see how their own work can support an organization’s broader objectives.

Align goals

The main purpose of goals alignment is to be able to see the bigger picture. And when we are able to see the bigger picture, we always know which way to walk. Our overall destination remains right in front of our eyes, like a dangling carrot. It allows you to align your goals with the organizational ones, so that every employee can see the bigger goals. For example, if one of the organization’s main goals is to explore an yet untapped market, the ability to align goals enables an employee to know how exactly they are contributing to this specific goal.

Assign goals

A manager or a leader need not wait to interact with their employees, in order to assign goals. Every process is smoother with a capable software. Goal assignment is a feature that allows users to assign goals to their direct reports and in some cases, even other employees. It becomes unnecessary to set up a formal meeting to do so. In other words, it also saves time.

Also read: 10 Best Employee Tools To Track Performance

Notifications to check-in

When we set a goal, it’s a given that there needs to be a follow-up method in place. Otherwise, it will fall right through the crack. Many ideas have been lost in this process. One of the most crucial things about goal setting is that they have to be followed up on. Check-in notifications allow the goal assigner to know when an employee checks-in the progress they have made on their goal. This reduces the need for a meeting or a chat that is set up solely for the purpose of talking about goal progress.

Ability to comment

We all know that everything has shelf-life, less or more. Same goes for human thoughts. As a manager, when your employee is working on a goal, and checking-in on time, it is also important to share feedback on the same… promptly. That ability to comment in time on goals allows both managers and employees to have a discussion about the goal and the progress that is being made. Commenting is an easy way to foster communication without having to formalize it. It’s a subtle component that helps build a healthy and active work culture.

Key results

Without measuring how will you know if you are going in the right direction or when you are going to reach your goal? Goals need key results in order for them to be defined better. Key results break a goal down into more than one measurable area that allows users to achieve a goal, chunk by chunk, part by part. This breaking down can help achieve a goal easily and in good time. When the steps are easier to take, the goal automatically comes closer.

Club it up with a PMS

Goal setting is essentially not very different from performance management. Goals are an important part of performance management since they help employees show what they have accomplished in a period of time. They are also a great way for managers to gauge employee performance. When the goal-setting software is able to integrate with performance management software, it makes the review process a lot easier for both the employee and the manager.

Also read: How To Set Effective Employee Goals?

These features will help you pick a fine goal setting software. A good software will also be easy to customize. So redo this list if you feel like, and add or remove features as per your requirements. Once you know exactly what you are looking for, you have managed to reach your goal of finding the right one for your organization. Let us know if you think we should add more to this list. And, in case, if you wish to check out how Engagedly can help your organization, give us a shout out for demo.


Engagedly is offering a suite of products part of its Remote Work Toolkit free to any organisation, until Sept 30th, 2020. 

The Coronavirus has affected the way we work today and for months to come. Unprecedented events require unprecedented measures. We at Engagedly believe it is our responsibility as socially conscious corporate citizens to help equip organisations with additional tools and resources during this time of crisis.


Get in touch with us to know more about the free remote working tool-kit. 

Author
Srikant Chellappa
CEO & Co-Founder of Engagedly

Srikant Chellappa is the Co-Founder and CEO at Engagedly and is a passionate entrepreneur and people leader. He is an author, producer/director of 6 feature films, a music album with his band Manchester Underground, and is the host of The People Strategy Leaders Podcast. He is currently working on his next book, Ikigai at the Workplace, which is slated for release in the fall of 2024.

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