Performance Management and the Accountability Cycle
Performance Management is a hot topic in many of today’s business and academic circles. It has moved from the fringes of the HR realm to center stage in the Executive Suite. Along the way, it has redefined the role of HR in many companies. HR groups that once were mere administrative vassals supporting the organization are now an integral part of the organization’s competitive strategy and are honored with a full seat that the round table.
Setting SMART Goals and Clear Expectations are an essential part of the process of achieving higher levels of accountability with your peers and employees. Goals must be determined before expectations can be set and Expectations have to be set before someone can be held accountable for meeting them. Often we use the terms Goals and Expectations interchangeably. This happens most often when expectations are implied during the goal setting process. For example, when setting the goal to reduce errors in a process by 25% there is an implied expectation: you make 25% less mistakes. However, there are significant differences between goals and expectations. A Goal is something to strive for; a target to reach but it is not an obligation other than the obligation to try. An Expectation on the other handis an obligation considered reasonable, due and necessary. In performance management terms, the expectation is the minimum acceptable performance level and a goal is some point beyond the expectation that the manager and employee have agreed to target. Going forward from here, I will talk setting goals and expectation and the process for both are nearly the same as long as you keep in mind the differences: Targets vs. Obligations.
Leadership 
