We can all recognize the importance of having objectives for your employees. It helps them understand their job, it allows them to know what your expectations are, and it gives you some criteria for measuring their performance.

Of course, they are only useful if you all remember what they are.

We are not just talking here about formal KPIs that you use for performance reviews and determining pay and bonuses. We are looking beyond that, to consider your employees’ development, both in formal settings and through on-the-job and coaching opportunities. We are talking about how they develop themselves not just for the job they are in, but also for the career they want to have. Whether you are using these objectives for official performance management, for pay and promotions, or more for personal development, it’s important to keep track of them.

It’s easy to sit around and talk with an employee about what they should be doing, and when they walk out of your office you can both have a really good understanding of what was just discussed. Memories fade, though, and recollections of that meeting get dimmer and dimmer with time. The most important thing is to have that discussion in the first place, but the second most important thing is for both of you to keep a record of it.

The benefit to you is pretty obvious. To hold somebody accountable for their work you need something to which you can point and say “this is what you’re supposed to be doing.” When it comes time to do performance reviews, consider raises, or look at promotions, you do not want to rely on your memory of this conversation, plus all the other discussions you had with your employees. And if worse comes to worst and you think you need to let someone go, this list upon which you both agreed may be the best justification you have.

Your employees benefit too. A lot of knowledge-based work can be difficult to quantify, so you need to lay out some kind of clear standard for your employees to follow. When you are forced to write it down, it makes you think about it in more specific terms rather than just talking in generalities. Do not make them wonder if they are doing their job; help them to know. You will also find that when people commit to something on paper they are more likely to actually do it; there is just something about putting it in print, or even signing a piece of paper, that makes it very real rather than just an abstract idea.

Writing down your employees’ objectives is the easy part. Coming up with GOOD objectives…that’s a little trickier. Do not do the hard work but then fail to do the easy part, because you will waste all the effort you put into it.