Setting goals and objectives is the starting point of planning. It involves determining the future course of action and a desired endpoint. Plans are prepared with a view of future activities and a future accomplishment. The decisions and actions may be null if they cannot improve the future. A plan can exist only if the present is different from the future. Steps are often taken to bridge the present and future gap. However, there is a need to understand clearly what needs to be achieved. This is resultantly achieved by creating an objective. An objective may be defined as a desired situation that changes from the present. The objective of any plan is to move from the present to a future state. Objectives provide direction, facilitate better use of resources, and provide a mechanism for decision-making and evaluating alternative courses of action. In essence, goals and objectives define an organization’s mission.
Planning and organizing is a fundamental part of management. It is a process of deciding the best way to achieve an outcome and how to ensure it is achieved. Planning is formulating a program for a definite course of action. This course of action comprises a series of activities that need to be executed in the future, such as planning a trip from one location to another. An individual will have to plan the route they will take, where they will rest, the duration of the trip, and how much fuel is required for the journey. The concept is similar to organizational planning, but a trip is a single series of activities less complex than organizing an entire organization. Organization can be loosely defined as determining the best method to arrange an activity or series of activities to reach an outcome.
Setting Goals and Objectives
There are several benefits to setting goals and objectives. It provides a framework for management to decide what they want to achieve and how to accomplish it. This process involves the manager thinking and communicating with the team to establish a clear direction. It gives a sense of unity of purpose and direction and helps the organization or team to understand what is expected. This can help increase team motivation as members know what is to be achieved and can better understand their role in the organization. Goals and objectives provide a clear focus and allow for better use of resources and time management. Any deviations from the course of the established goals can be easily recognized and addressed. This process of goal setting also provides a precise evaluation and measurement of success, which can contribute to job satisfaction and a desire for better performance. A clear criterion for performance can also be established by setting objectives, which helps identify and solve performance problems.
Setting goals is an essential part of any manager’s job. A goal is a desired future result that an organization wishes to achieve. It is a target that a manager or team sets to accomplish a task, mission, or objective. Goals are future actions and results that a team or organization desires. An objective is a statement explaining what is to be achieved, usually broken down into specific tasks or steps, each with a measurable result. An effective manager should be able to set realistic goals and achievable objectives for their team or organization.
Developing Office Policies and Procedures
This topic should focus on ‘How to develop and write policies and procedures for your office.’ The ability to set policies and procedures is an effective management tool. Policies identify the key activities and provide a general strategy for decision-making. Your policies should be clear and concise and only include required information; this will ensure that they are user-friendly and practical. Once you have developed your policies, they are a great reference tool for decision-making. Communicating your policies to your employees helps them understand what is expected of them and how they should do it. It is a good idea to brainstorm with your employees on the policies you are setting as it will involve them in the process, and they may provide you with valuable information that you may not have considered. Ask them how they will affect their work and ask for their concerns. This will also help create more user-friendly policies and procedures. Adequate procedures should set out the steps required to implement the policy. They should be easy to read and understand, with action steps that are numbered in a logical sequence. Try to keep the number of steps to a minimum and only include essential information. A flowchart can be effective for summarizing the procedure. Review the procedure with people involved in its implementation and make any necessary changes. Remember that significant policies and procedures take time to develop, so do not rush them. Often, review them to ensure they are the best way to complete an activity.
Allocating Resources Effectively
Every organization has various available resources; typically, the most thought of resources are financial and human resources. However, physical and information resources are equally as important. Financial resources are the easiest to control via allocation. Generally, most organizations will prepare a budget that will map out where the resources will be allocated over time; this is typically done annually. Following the Christchurch earthquakes, Christchurch City Council faced tough decisions regarding allocating financial resources. With a significant loss of ratepayer income due to a reduced rating base, borrowing funds to have a higher capital expenditure on repairs and maintaining current service levels would likely lead to higher debt levels and future financial implications. The Council had to weigh an acceptable level of service with the cost of achieving that service and determine if some services would have to be discontinued or others reduced. An example of discontinuing a service would be the sale of five city care parks and maintenance contracts to Hamilton-based Greenacres, which saved $900,000 by ceasing these services. This decision impacted the resources available to the Parks Unit.
Effective allocation of resources is essential, particularly in today’s environment, which demands accountability and the accomplishment of more with fewer resources. In the public sector, funds are often in short supply, and expectations from the community continue to grow. The current state in New Zealand is no different; there is an increasing expectation that local government will play a significant role in improving the social, economic, environmental, and cultural well-being of a community. This places tremendous pressure on local government to deliver and often will mean rethinking how and where resources are allocated. Step one in this process is to identify and classify the resources available.