Business targets are an essential part of the whole business
terminology where the emphasis on achieving the targets surpasses the other management
essentials. Experts have claimed that performance is many a time linked to
achieving targets but the questions lies in the very fact that in a situation
where good performance guarantees target achievement, do such targets guarantee
a good performance?
The whole essence of targets and achievements gives rise to a
competitive environment where the sheer pleasure of performing well and
consistently disappears in thin air. There is a matter of discrepancy when
determining an over performer and an accurate performer which further more
creates a gap in employee development. Target achievement is equally important
for an employee as it is to have a consistent performance over time.
Performance on the other hand is defined as an amalgamation of various elements
like targets, averages, good conduct, development ratio and alike. Targets are
one of the significant steps in having a benchmark performance which an average
employee substitutes as performance. In sales, at the start of the career, an
ambitious employee gets drawn towards factors which will lead to achievements
of targets rather than developing his skills and learning and development. In
the short run, his objectives become target based while in the long run, this
creates a lag wherein his development takes a setback. This can disrupt the
learning phase in an employee’s career to a considerable extent. The beauty of
learning and developing the skills get secondary due to which a new employee
gets branded as average and can have a hard time for development due to change
in priorities and job responsibilities later in his career. The strategic and
management ability in an employee remains undeveloped due to which he can
experience problems in other responsibilities like leadership, team building
etc.
In a business environment where achieving targets become an
extreme necessity, there should be a hint of skill development practices where
apart from achieving targets, an employee gets exposed to the other functions
of management. This can provide assistance in the long run for both the
employee and the organization in terms of better career prospects and
organizational growth alike.
