PwC Middle East a Category of One

Setting valuable objectives

Why have objectives?
Becoming a Category of One across the Middle East relies on every one of us delivering the PwC
Experience to our clients and each other. Discussing your objectives and development goals with your
people manager is the opportunity to agree what youre going to achieve and contribute over the coming
year.
The objective setting discussion ensures that your focus for the next year is appropriate and expectations
are clear. It is an opportunity for you and your people manager to gather information on and discuss roles
and opportunities that will add value to your clients and the firm whilst helping you develop your career at
PwC.
What should your objectives cover?
It is important to consider your own development needs as well as aligning your personal objectives with
the objectives and priorities of your business unit/line of service, as well as the wider firm strategy. Your
partner and/or people manager will be able to discuss the business objectives and strategy with you to
help you understand how you can contribute to achieving them.
Your personal objectives should continue to support your growth and development and focus on
measurable outputs and deliverables. Discuss and agree with your people manager any new or existing
skills you need to develop in order to deliver your objectives, as well as more general development needs.
Your objectives should show a link between:
your industry and LoS/ BU strategy
your project assignment opportunities
your interests and development needs.
How can you prepare for the objective setting meeting?
Start by thinking about what is happening around you at the moment and what could happen in the
future. You and your people manager also need to think about what business needs and opportunities
might be relevant to you.

How can you contribute to achieving your teams goals and objectives?
What activities/projects are there that you want to be associated with and how would these be
valuable to you and the firm?
How do you expect to allocate both your chargeable and non-chargeable time?
What are your future aspirations and what foundational work can you do now to help you achieve
these?

What should you and your people manager discuss at your objective setting meeting?
At your objective setting meeting you and your people manager should discuss and identify the skills and
knowledge you may need to achieve your objectives. If you need to develop in any areas then record these
as short-term goals in your Development Plan.
Objective setting is a performance contract between an individual and PwC. Your performance against
your objectives will have an impact on your promotion prospects, salary increase and bonus at the end of
the review period. You should think about how you will achieve your objectives, what can you take from
your recent annual review feedback to help you develop this years objectives? This is the qualitative
aspect of your objectives.

PwC Middle East a Category of One

Your objectives need to be measurable (quantifiable) so you can demonstrate that you have achieved
them, therefore, they need to be SMART:

Specific: Are they clear to all parties? How will we know when results are achieved?
Measurable: Are there both quantitative and behavioural measures of progress?
Attainable: Are they within reach and something 'worth stretching for'?
Relevant: Are they related to job accountabilities? Are they significant to the business plan and
to the individual?
Time-bound: Are there milestones or is there an ability to track progress at appropriate times
(for example, in order to be able to identify or anticipate problems)?

To set your objectives, consider:

- the business strategy and priorities for your, industry, LoS and/or BU
- feedback from your last review period
- guidance and examples on setting SMART objectives
Your LoS/BU may also have guidance on specific objectives that need to be included into your
Development Plan so check with your people manager whether this is the case.
What next?
Once you have agreed appropriate performance objectives with your people manager these should be
recorded on the Development Plan (DP) section of PC&D.
You should ensure that you review your objectives and measurements on a regular basis and check-in
with your people manager throughout the year to ensure the ongoing relevance of your objectives and to
assess whether you are on track to achieve them.
Throughout the year you should:

refer to your objectives every time you start an assignment not all assignments and projects will
offer the same opportunities. Some will help you consolidate experience and skills you have
already developed and on others you will develop new skills and knowledge
speak with your local resource planner to identify assignments and other activities which offer
you opportunities to meet your objectives find an opportunity to discuss your objectives with
them
regularly discuss your progress against objectives with your people manager, who has access to
view your Development Plan. During the course of the performance year, circumstances may
change and you may wish to agree further objectives.

Other sources of information

Further guidance is available on the PC&D database and the PwC Professional Spark group