Why You Shouldn’t Use Google Sheets With The Goals
If your company works on the basis of goals then probably you insert them to Google Sheets. At first sight, it seems handy. You can fix there everything you need to achieve in 3,6 or 12 months and regularly check where you are at the moment.
Unfortunately, practice shows that doc with set goals is usually forgotten. A team is lost in routine and when it comes to outlining results about half of it turns out to be incomplete.
This happens because it’s necessary to make small steps forward on a regular basis but not a big push before the deadline.
Google sheets are not the best tool for disciplined work with achieving goals, these are the reasons why:
1. There are no automated notifications to make an update
This is one of the weakest sides of Google Sheets — there is no option to set automated notifications on the necessity to update a piece of information towards your progress. A function of auto-pushing is extremely important to hit you systematically so that you move forward to a result and always be aware of the deadline.
Ideally is to have a system where you can set a frequency of notifications on goals tied with you. When a tool sends you notifications that it’s time to update your progress on a weekly basis — you automatically begin doing everything so that you have something to write in this update.
2. People usually forget about google doc existence
After brainstorming on setting goals we are getting into the work and if nobody reminds you about the doc, where all the goals are gathered — you are likely to forget about it. And what is more awkward is that some people even don’t know about it.
It would be ideal to gather all the goals within one system and to appoint responsible for them. Then people will be more involved in the process of achieving company goals, and the result of completion will grow.
3. Comments for cells will not replace a feedback
It’s very handy to leave comments in one of the cells and it can partially meet the needs in feedback, and communication on goals and their progress. But all the same, comments will not replace clear feedback which can be written to a person in private but not to make it public for everyone who has access to this doc.
Ideally: it’s very important for an employee to get feedback on his/her performance and also a possibility to leave it for teammates ( who helps, grows, and who needs to care for your progress).
Needless to say that it’s a great benefit to fix all the feedback story and so that it is personalized. In Ahundred tool this function is available.
4. Awkward-to-handle dashboard with a complex structure
Apparently everything depends on the way you structure information about goals. But it doesn’t matter how understandable you try to make the visualization — you can’t avoid Google Sheets restrictions.
At first sight, it seems that visualization is not so tightly connected with their achieving. But all the same when you have an opportunity to set your weekly focus, for example, or to get immediate access to the information on high middle low performers — it clearly reflects who is deserved to be praised for high results and who needs some push.
Ideally is to choose the system with a user-friendly interface, clear visualization of goals dashboard, progress and also a possibility to customize the structure up to your company. It’s important to have a good visualization for mobile devices.
For example, this is the way real-time dashboard of Ahundred looks like:
5. Driver completely fizzles out when working with goals achievement within Google Sheets
There is usually a responsible person behind the goals, who manages so that a team works on its goals. That is to say, it performs as a driver of achieving goals. But when working in Google Sheet, you can’t automate such points like notifications about a deadline and updating of the status of a goal. And the driver always lacks time to do it regularly and manually. That’s why without the team’s involvement driver lets down. And the process of goal achievement stops.
Ideally is to automate everything is possible so that to reduce a human factor. In that case, the system will help the driver and give it an opportunity to get deeper into the progress, make it getting rid of a futile work “hit and remind”.
If you want to try working with goals efficiently within one system - then ask us about Ahundred demo.
