Peak Performance: Your Goals and Objectives

by Salary.com Staff - Original publish date: January 19, 2012

One of the most important goals of your performance review is to help you develop professionally. At the same time, the company will set goals for you to help it achieve its objectives. So at both an individual and corporate level, performance reviews are about future excellence as much as past accomplishment.

If you help set your own goals, the chance of your meeting them will be higher. Think carefully about what you can realistically do to achieve your targets.

Your action plan for professional development should provide answers to the following questions.

What areas of your performance do you feel in need of development?
What do you think you need to do to develop your performance in any particular areas?
Do you think you need further training in any aspect of your work?
How can your manager help you improve your performance?
What development and training do you need?
In addition, you should set smart, achievable performance goals that relate to the tasks in your job description. Then, as the cycle of excellence begins again, you can track your progress as you prepare for the next evaluation.