One of the key responsibilities of managing employees is helping them develop their careers. And one of the best ways to do that is by establishing clear, measurable objectives toward achieving their goals. This policy offers a simple outline of what qualifies as an acceptable objective and how managers and employees can work toward a plan for completing them. A basic tracking worksheet is included to help you document the objectives assigned to your staff.

From the policy:

ACCEPTABLE OBJECTIVES
Objectives must meet the following criteria:

To require employees to go above and beyond their everyday job, preferably utilizing creativity and problem-solving skills to develop something new and innovative or that reduces time and labor.

May require collaboration among teams, which can include others outside a department.

Assistance with the objectives of others, as part of a team or simply providing help and support in general.

Objectives must be reviewed with the employee’s supervisor to ensure that they meet the criteria and are not overly difficult or unattainable.