Performance Goals = Agency Success!

NOVA Parks (Northern Virginia Regional Park Authority) has just taken the next step in becoming a truly high performance agency. It is all about boiling the strategic goals of the organization down to individual duties and making specific people accountable to achieving measurable goals.

Since 2007 we have had strategic plans that outlined the transformative steps that would build a stronger more effective park agency. In 2012 we generated our current 5 year plan. These plans have measurable results, and are tracked every six months to see how we are progressing. The results have been amazing! Becoming a goal oriented organization has resulted in new parks being acquired and developed, new programs, innovative facilities, cutting edge marketing and communications, and more.

Setting goals and achieving them has the added benefit of build morale and a sense of great momentum within the organization. It is hard to quantify this “X factor” but it is significant!

This month we took this to the next level, and everyone had very specific and measurable goals set for their individual performance. We have 120 full time employees and they all have goals now. The 72 that are grade 13 and above have more detailed measurable goals that relate to our current Strategic Plan. These are goals that go far beyond just doing a ‘good job.’ They are specific and they require staff to step outside the day-to-day and work on those transformative steps.

Based on how our agency performs financially over the coming year, there may be a pool of funds for performance incentives. Based on how individuals achieve their performance goals they can be eligible to participate in the performance incentive program.

This is organizational development:

• Start with a mission & vision 
• Develop a Strategic Plan that identifies the transformational steps that will lead to a stronger organization to better service to the public
• Develop individual goals based on the Strategic Goals and hold people actable to results
•  Reward great performance
• Build energy and momentum for the next round of goals setting – Start over again 

I could not be prouder of the remarkable group of professionals that help this agency continue to exceed all expectations. Real teamwork is built over years, and is the result of a history of achieving goals. Implementing this ambition program of developing meaningful goals for everyone was an enormous task. It was done both on time and with great quality! Congratulations to all those involved.