This is how you conduct a planning meeting that actually delivers results

The beginning of a new year is an excellent time for setting new goals for the coming period. On a personal level, these resolutions have been a well-known motivator for years to make drastic or less drastic changes. In business too, it's good to set goals. Setting (ambitious) goals motivates employees to achieve maximum results.

In the traditional appraisal cycle, the goal-setting meeting takes place at the beginning of the year. Many companies require the annual goal-setting meeting to be completed before the end of Q1. This way, there is sufficient time during the year to actively work on the set goals.

A good planning meeting starts with preparation. The employee takes the initiative for setting goals and the manager supplements them. By letting employees determine their own goals, you place part of the responsibility with them. This aligns with the principles of The New Appraisal*. By applying this method in the HR cycle, you create a continuous dialogue between employee and manager. A method focused on more than just employee performance, where feedback is seen as synonymous with personal development and growth.

*The New Appraisal is a method that replaces the traditional appraisal cycle, where you continuously engage in dialogue to provide each other with feedback. Jacco van den Berg (author of 'Het nieuwe beoordelen') conducted research for his book in collaboration with Marianne van Woerkom and Charissa Freese from Tilburg University's Department of Human Resource Studies.

The purpose of the planning meeting is to have clarity at the beginning of the (annual) appraisal cycle about where the focus will be. By concretely determining objectives and the intended results, you can measure the set goals against the organization's goals and vision. This is called 'goal alignment'. Depending on the type of organization, the type of objectives to be set is determined. Objectives are divided into business goals and learning goals. Learning goals are in turn divided into competency goals (behavior) and professional/technical skills.

Objectives are best formulated according to the SMART (specific, measurable, acceptable, realistic and time-bound) or OKR (objectives and key results) principle.

In the following paragraph, we explain the differences between SMART and OKR.

By ensuring that objectives are always SMART, they become clear and concrete. This contributes to the achievability of the goal. An objective is SMART when it consists of the following criteria:

Specific Clearly indicates what you need to do to achieve it.

Measurable Shows the expected end result in qualitative or quantitative standards.

Acceptable Fits within the objectives of the department and organization.

Realistic The objective is achievable within the set time, budget and resources.

Time-bound Clearly states the start and end date and any important milestones.

Examples of SMART-formulated objectives:

• Reducing the number of long-term sick leave by 5% by the end of this year, within the existing budget.
• Increasing employee satisfaction by 5% compared to last year in terms of work 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 should be challenging enough to provide sufficient motivation. For this reason, the A of Acceptable is sometimes replaced by Ambitious and the R of Realistic by Relevant.

In short, the OKR method ensures that as an organization you can link objectives to measurable results. First, you determine the Objectives. This is the long-term goal that comes from vision and mission. It's important that objectives provide direction, are inspiring and understandable. Two questions are central: (1) what do I want to achieve and (2) how will I achieve this. You ask these questions from the organizational perspective and from the team and employee perspective. Then, multiple Key Results are linked to the Objectives. These must be measurable, lead to objective assessment and be challenging but not unrealistic.

Generally, they relate to topics such as growth, performance or engagement. It's important to remember that Key Results are not the same as tasks. Key Results are the outcomes of executing a series of tasks. Determine objectives per year but also per quarter. This keeps you flexible for change and doesn't lose sight of the main goal.

To track progress, it's important to record the agreements made. You do this in a supporting tool focused on progress and ease of use. Within Learned's software, various templates allow employees to independently set business goals and learning goals. While filling in the form, Learned suggests activities that need to be done to achieve the desired goal. These suggestions can be adjusted and supplemented to align with the company's strategic goals.

This automatically clarifies which results are expected at the time of a follow-up meeting or the deadline. Additionally, employees can directly (internally and externally) request feedback on these goals with one click. This keeps communication short and ensures obstacles are overcome faster.

To make sure you don't forget your goals, you set up automatic reminders in Learned's software. Employees are then asked every week or every month to update the progress of their goals. This keeps goals top-of-mind. Additionally, scheduling interim 1-on-1 meetings is essential for ensuring progress on set goals. By frequently continuing to discuss these objectives and providing interim feedback on associated actions, you ensure goals can be achieved.

At Learned, we believe companies can grow faster when they enable their employees to do their best work. By providing continuous feedback, performance increases by 12% and when goals are set during these conversations, average performance increases by 14% (Gartner research, 2018).

Want to know how to get started with the Planning Meeting or the Good Conversation? Watch the video demo or try our software free for 14 days.

The planning meeting and appraisal meeting are best conducted separately to create space for employee input in the planning process. The appraisal meeting looks back on the past year and may discuss salary and promotions, while the planning meeting focuses on setting goals and plans for the coming year.

The purpose of a planning meeting is to have clarity at the beginning of an appraisal cycle about where the focus will be for the coming year. By determining concrete objectives and measuring them against the organization's goals and vision, 'goal alignment' is achieved. This contributes to employee motivation and performance.

Objectives can best be formulated according to the SMART method (Specific, Measurable, Acceptable, Realistic, Time-bound) or the OKR principle (Objectives and Key Results). SMART objectives are clear and concrete, while OKR ensures linking objectives to measurable results and inspiring long-term goals.