PROCESOS INDUSTRIALES

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ARTICULO: KEEPING GOALS REALISTIC.

PROFESOR

PROCESOS INDUSTRIALES

GRUPO BN

UNIVERSIDAD DE LA COSTA CUC

FACULTAD DE INGENIERA

KEEPING GOALS REALISTIC.

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There is something exhilarating about an empty calendar at the beginning of the

year. The blank pages seem to hold such promise, as if the appointments and
contracts were already there, scribbled in the invisible ink of the future. It seems
that we only have to do our part by working hard for the inevitable successes of the
year to be revealed to us. And it is in this hopeful mood that managers at all levels
receive, and then distribute down the line, the annual goals set by the leaders of
the organization.

Annual goals generally are not presented to us as negotiable items. The terms,
although unspoken by civilized CEOs, are basically "take it or leave it." Very
ambitious goals often are accompanied by much backslapping and hearty
expressions of confidence in our ability to achieve them, as in "You're just the
person who can do it." We fear that any attempt to mitigate the goals may appear
unseemly, as if we don't share management's confidence in our abilities. So,
despite our better judgment, we swallow the lump in our throats and accept our
assigned goals. The last words we hear on leaving the board room are, "Go get
'em, Tiger!"

When a general commands a first lieutenant in the heat of battle to "Take that hill!"
he doesn't expect a counteroffer; the lieutenant is expected to follow orders
unquestioningly. But let's imagine the officer, who is eager to take the hill,
requesting additional resources as a prerequisite to success--additional troops for
the mission, an artillery barrage beforehand to soften up the target, and
coordinated tactical air support during the assault. Would it not be clear to the
general that his lieutenant had a pretty good grasp of the requirements for a
victorious mission?

We corporate soldiers, too, are expected to salute and follow our marching orders.
But, like the lieutenant in our example, we can agree enthusiastically with the
assigned mission while asking for more resources to get the job done properly.
Perhaps the company has not done its part in support of our mission in terms of an
advertising blitz or ramped-up manufacturing capability or increased delivery
capacity. Maybe the timeline is too ambitious or the budget inadequate. Maybe we
need administrative support in order to free our hands for the tasks at which we
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really excel. With every request we make, we are not being defeatist; rather, we
are demonstrating our knowledge of what it will take to succeed. It must be clear to
our leaders that we share the goal and only wish to make it a reality at year's end.
While we would be wise never to accept a mission impossible, we never should
assign one, either.

Some managers seem to feel it is a harmless policy to assign arbitrarily difficult

goals, perhaps on the assumption that employees who are prompted to "reach for
the stars" may at the very least "hit the moon." Secretly, these managers may be
delighted at the performance of employees who "failed" to meet their assigned
goals, but significantly increased their output in trying. Publicly, these managers
may put on a serious face because the goals were not met. The problem is: The
employee hasn't tasted the fruits of victory, say, with a year-end performance
bonus. He may feel that his income has been capped by unrealistic, unachievable
goals. Worse, he may suspect that a cynical management team never expected
him to achieve those goals in the first place. Winning can become a habit, but so
can losing. As managers, we want to see our people win and win again. That
doesn't mean we assign goals that are met easily, but it should mean that all goals
are imminently realistic.

Dan Carrison, a business writer and consultant, has authored or co-authored four
management books: Semper Fi: Business Leadership the Marine Corps Way,
Deadline! How Premier Organizations Win the Race against time, Business Under
Fire and From the Bureau to the Boardroom. Carrison is a general partner of
Semper Fi Consulting and founder of www.ghostwritersinthesky.com. Carrison lives
in Los Angeles, where he teaches corporate communication for the University of La
Verne. He can be reached at dan.carrison@gmail.com.
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PUNTO DE VISTA PERSONAL

El tema planteado anteriormente es interesante, porque funciona como una carta

abierta a todos los ingenieros industriales en el rol de dirigentes empresariales
que deseen emprender los objetivos del ao dentro de la organizacin, este
articulo va dirigido a todos los que queramos cumplir objetivo o en calidad de jefes,
ordenar el cumplimiento de ellos, la clave segn el autor est en ser conscientes
de los recursos necesarios para el cumplimiento, y no caer en el error de
encomendar misiones imposibles que puedan estigmatizar al encomendado, esto
es sumamente importante desde nuestro punto de vista porque como ingenieros
industriales debemos estar conscientes de los recursos disponibles dentro de una
empresa y con base a ello, poder idear un plan de mejoramiento.