One of the most important aspects of management is implementing change and setting goals.  Managers must decide what their goals are and how they are going to achieve them.  This is a basic part of strategic planning.  Setting small goals is a small part of the bigger picture in making your business or organization successful.  Managers must decide what goals they believe will be most effective in improving their business and then decide how they are going to go about reaching those goals.  Whatever the goal is you must be committed to it in order for it to succeed.

     Commitment to a goal and making decisions are not easily done.  Many managers hesitate for various reasons when it comes to making changes in the workplace.  Fear of change, failure, and upsetting the staff are just a few of the challenges that managers face when introducing a new concept or idea in the organization.  But it is imperative that managers follow through on their goals and replace the fear with positive feelings such as excitement and success.  Managers who are afraid to set goals and carry them through will never be successful.  Today's ever-changing marketplace makes it imperative that every manager constantly look for ways to improve their processes, systems, and products and/or services in order to compete successfully in a growing global market.

     Once goals are established it is the job of the manager to establish a plan for achieving these goals.  For beginning managers it is important not to tackle too many goals at once.  In fact, I would recommend that new managers begin with one goal and work on meeting that goal before working on another one.  Veteran managers, on the other hand, can often work on numerous goals simultaneously through the use of teams and careful project management tools.

     Not every one of your ideas or goals will be met with open arms by your staff.  That is normal and be ready to face stiff opposition by most to any changes that you may want to make in order to reach your goal.  But do not let this opposition stop you from implementing change if it is for the good of the organization.  It is important that you show your staff how strongly you believe in your idea or goal in order to get their support.  If they sense that you are hesitant or scared at all, you will never get the new idea implemented.  On the other hand, if you stay committed to your plan and work effectively at getting your staff to buy-in to it, you will eventually get the idea implemented. 

     Effective change management is a whole area of discussion that will not be discussed in detail here but should be researched carefully before implementing new ideas in the workplace.  Just remember that you must communicate to your staff the reasons for the changes.  Just making changes and implementing new ideas for the sake of "making changes" is not a good idea.  You should have a reason for doing so and communicate the reasons to all involved in order to get their support.  Once the staff realizes that the new idea will increase revenues or make their jobs easier then you will get the support you need to carry through on your plan.

     In conclusion, managers must be ready to make changes in the workplace based on their goals.  Careful planning and research is imperative as is effective communication with the staff.  Do not be afraid of implementing new ideas or making changes in the organization.  It is your job.

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Written by Jason Liptow, webmaster of The Good Manager.  Copyright 2005 © The Good Manager.