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Goals

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I have an employee who does decent work, but that's it. It's always the bare minimum, and he will only do more if I say so. I believe he's very capable, and I wonder if there is a way to get him to show more initiative, or is this it?
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I met with my manager to explain the reasons why one of my projects was not going well, and he cut me off and said he was tired of my excuses. I said these are facts, not excuses. He said I was playing semantics and then blamed everything on me. The meeting soon ended with nothing resolved. What should I do now?
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We had a round of layoffs a few weeks ago, and I survived. I obviously felt relieved and thankful, but I'm also feeling sort of guilty. I know I didn't cause any of my former associates to get laid off, but I'm not feeling very good. Can you offer any advice?
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One of the employees I supervise has repeatedly told me and everyone else in the department that he wants my job. I am very tired of hearing this. His work is generally satisfactory, but these comments are not. What should I say to him?
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I am a sales manager, and during the summer, I told the sales team that if they exceeded the goal, I would shave all the hair off my head. Well, they roared right past it, but things have changed since the summer and I'm not in the mood to do this. How bad would it be if I deferred it?
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Last quarter I beat my sales quota by over 100%. Now my sales manager has raised my quota to a number that is just about impossible to reach. This is not fair, and I'd like to know if there is a way to get him to change it back.
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I want to make a career change, maybe into real estate sales, but I have a full-time job and family responsibilities. I don't have the time to take the courses, and I am concerned about the lack of income when I start a new career. How do people in my position do it?
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I have been with this company for 2 years, and there have been several new openings that I have wanted, but each time they have gone to someone else. My manager has told me that I'm in line for one, but I am never picked. He keeps repeating some old saying about how patience is a virtue. What can you suggest?
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I am beginning my career, and I want to know how to respond to a job interview question about my goals if I don't have a particular objective. I know what direction I want to go in, and I want to do well, advance, and continue to learn, and maybe my goals will crystallize when I join the company.
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Our manager gives us no recognition when we meet or surpass our goals, whether as individuals or as a team. She is more likely to focus negatively on some minor point or ignore our success altogether. Should we say something to her?
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I just evaluated one of my employees, and she became rather upset. I had notes on her performance from throughout the year, but she did not like what she heard and denied just about everything. What is the best thing to do when this happens?
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I have a new manager, and all he talks about is objectives. We have to come up with objectives, and it does not matter if they are vague or specific. He just wants us to be working toward something. I told him that my objective is to be more productive, and he said that I should commit to this in writing and then work to meet it. I'm trying to figure out if this is a real program or just an exercise. What do you think?
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I just had my evaluation, and I don't know what to do with my manager's comments. He gave me average ratings and said I need to work harder and improve my attitude. I don't think his assessment is correct, and I don't know how to improve in those areas. What do you suggest?
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Our manager recently introduced a goal-setting program as part of our performance appraisals. He said goals are important for motivation, but some of the goals he set are impossible to meet, and we have had no participation in the process. What can we do?
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I work for an aerospace company, and my manager is supposed to set goals in January, give a progress review in July, and a final review in the next January. My 2004 appraisal was not completed until January 2005, and the goals and ratings were all made up. My boss wanted me to sign it and backdate it, and he is doing the same thing for this year's appraisal. I explained this to the HR manager, and he told me to find another job. What should I do next?
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After working here for a year, I had a performance review with my manager. At the end, I gave him a write-up of my goals for the coming year. He looked them over, set them aside, and said he makes the goals for his employees. He said he gets better goals by doing this. What do you think?
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I think employees should be given a formal performance appraisal twice a year, but most of the other managers think it should be once a year. Two appraisals give employees current information, and they are more useful in decision-making by the company. Which approach makes the most sense to you?
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I enjoy working for this company, and management just offered me a very good job opportunity. The problem is that it is in a different state, and I do not want to move. I have family and friends here, and I have visited the location, spent time in the office and area, and I don't want to be there. How much of a problem is it when employees reject this type of offer?
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I am a new manager here, and I was just informed that I am supposed to meet with my employees to discuss the goals that they have set for themselves for the coming year. I do not believe in this process. I am the one who sets goals for my employees because I know what is best for the company, while the employees are out for themselves. How can I get this point across?
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My manager is upset with the goals I set for myself this year, and I don't see the problem. The goals included increasing gross margins, cross training my employees, and reducing turnover. My manager said that these are not goals, since goals need to be specific. Are these goals or not?
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I am director of operations, and the human resources manager reports to me. She completes the work I assign her, but shows no initiative and never comes up with projects on her own. I'm not an expert in human resources, so I don't know everything else she should be doing. What do you suggest here?
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My manager asked all of us to put together some goals for this year, and I came up with four that I thought were perfect. They are specific and clear, and they focus on the most important parts of my job. When I discussed them with my manager, he did not like them. He said that my goals should be designed to help him meet his goals. I don't think that's the point of goals. How should I handle this?
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I am over 50 and I despise my job. It makes me tense and upset every day, and the problem is that I am stuck. The pay and benefits are good, and I know it will be very tough to find anything like this at my age. What do you suggest?
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During the past year, two of my co-workers have been promoted. I believe I am ready for promotion, and I have expressed my interest to my manager. I discussed this with him after both of the promotions, and he keeps saying that I am in line for a promotion. What can I do to make it happen?
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My manager called me into his office and made some critical comments about my performance and handed me a copy of a write-up he placed in my file. I defended every criticism that he made, but that did not matter. What should I do now?
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I asked the employees in my department to put together their goals, and all but one did a good job. One employee said he could not develop his goals without knowing mine first. I told him to look at his most important responsibilities and he would have no problem developing his goals. What do you think?
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