The planning meeting, also known as the goal setting meeting, is held at the beginning of the year to discuss goals and plans for the coming year. During this conversation, the expectations of both parties are central and agreements on objectives are made. Learned recommends separating this conversation from the appraisal interview. This is because the purpose of a performance review is to look back on the past year, and salary or other promotions may be discussed. By conducting the assessment interview and the planning interview separately, you create space for the employee’s input in the planning interview.
New year, new good intentions
The beginning of a new year lends itself perfectly to setting new goals for the period ahead. On a personal level, these good intentions have been a familiar stick to change course drastically or slightly less drastically for years. It is also good to set goals in the business field. Setting (ambitious) goals motivates employees to achieve maximum results.
In the traditional appraisal cycle, the goal setting interview is at the beginning of the year. Many companies argue that the annual conversation about goals should be completed before the end of Q1. That way, there is plenty of room during the year to actively work on the set goals.
Preparing for a planning meeting
A good planning conversation starts with preparation. The employee takes the initiative in setting the goals and the supervisor completes the goals. By letting employees figure out for themselves what their goals are, you put some of the responsibility on the employees. This is in line with the principles of The New Assessment*. By applying this method in the HR cycle, you create a continuous dialogue between the employee and manager. A method that focuses on more than just employee performance and where feedback is seen as synonymous with working on personal development and growth.
*The New Appraisal is a method that replaces the traditional appraisal cycle, in which you engage in ongoing conversations with each other to provide feedback. Jacco van den Berg (author of “The New Assessment”) did the research for his book in collaboration with Marianne van Woerkom, Charissa Freese affiliated with the Department of Human Resource Studies at Tilburg University.
The purpose and usefulness of a planning meeting
The purpose of the planning interview is to be clear at the beginning of the (annual) assessment cycle on where the focus will be. By specifically defining what the objectives will be and thereby the intended outcome, you can measure the goals set against the goals and vision of the organization. This is called goal alignment. Depending on the type of organization, the type of objectives will be determined. Objectives fall into business goals and learning goals. Learning goals, in turn, fall into goals for competencies (behaviors) and professional/technical skills.
Objectives are best set according to the SMART (specific, measurable, acceptable, realistic and time-bound), or OKR (objectives and key results) principle.
In the next paragraph, we explain the differences between SMART and OKR.
Make goals measurable by making them concrete
SMART METHOD
- Reducing long-term sick leave by 5% by the end of this year, within the existing budget.
- Increasing employee satisfaction 5% over last year in the area of job happiness, within the existing budget.
- In 5 years, I want to be HR director, responsible for the entire HR department of an organization with at least 500 employees.
The objective must be challenging to motivate enough. For this reason, the A of Acceptable is also sometimes replaced by Ambitious and the R of Realistic by Relevant.
1. Why is it recommended to separate the planning interview from the appraisal interview?
The planning interview and the appraisal interview are best conducted separately to create space for the employee’s input into the planning process. The appraisal interview looks back on the past year and may be about salary and promotions, while the planning interview focuses on setting goals and plans for the coming year.
2. What is the purpose of a planning meeting and how does it contribute to the organization?
The purpose of a planning meeting is to be clear at the beginning of an assessment cycle what the focus will be for the coming year. By setting concrete goals and measuring them against the goals and vision of the organization, “goal alignment” is achieved. This contributes to employee motivation and performance.
3. How can goals best be formulated for a planning meeting?
Objectives are best formulated using the SMART (Specific, Measurable, Acceptable, Realistic, Time-bound) method or the OKR (Objectives and Key Results) principle. SMART goals are clear and concrete, while OKR ensures that goals are linked to measurable outcomes and inspiring long-term goals.