Every year my company sets a few goals for me and defines the measures for determining my performance in meeting those goals.  This year they came up with templates, a template for a Software Engineer, a template for a Team Leader and so on.

I hate templates, they put you in a mould. Templates generalize things ( goals in this case) . They have one serious problem, a template can’t fit everyone. I can’t fit in a template because I am different from the person who sits in the next cubicle to mine and so are everybody else.

How can the goals be same for all of us? I agree that they are based on designation, but still all team leaders are not the same.

I guess this makes the job of HR easier, cast everybody in the same mould. I differ!

Instead of templates, establish a framework, a set of guidelines within which employees can set up their own goals. Let the managers sit with his/her teams and come up with specific goals aligned to that of the department/company. Then measure them and see if he/r has met them.  Then reward!!!

Is it so difficult to achieve ? What do you think ? Does the company you work for does something similar to templates or something different ? Let me know in the comments.