It is hard to imagine an organization or individual being successful without having clear objectives. Objectives can be compared to a compass by which a ship navigates. A compass bearing is firm, but in actual navigation, a ship may veer off its course for many miles. Without a compass, a ship would never find its port. Objectives need to be challenging, understandable, obtainable, clear, reasonable, quantitative, specify a time element, prioritized, and consistent across departments.
Objectives are important in strategic planning because they provide direction and purpose.
They establish priorities, allow coordination, reduce uncertainty, aid in evaluation, stimulate exertion, minimize conflicts, are used to allocate resources, and to design jobs. For example as an aid in evaluation, a department or division should know up front what the objective or expectation is for the quarter or year. Consider your mission statement, external audit, and internal audit in devising your objectives. Follow guidelines described above in establishing your objectives. Be as specific as possible in stating each objective.