A Bureaucrat Who Made a Difference for the Better

Management by objectives has been defined as a managerial process whereby organizational purposes are diagnosed and met by joining supervisors and subordinates in the pursuit of mutually agreed upon goals. Progress and goal attainment are measured and monitored in appraisal sessions. The system at the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) centers around one simple form which ties objectives from BLM operating plans to its managers' ratings. In turn, the managers' objectives cascade down to subordinates' appraisals. The system is used not only to appraise performance, but also to improve it through supervisory analysis of whether improving job design, placement, or training can enhance individual performance. The BLM system was designed and implemented by Mr. George Turcott, a former BLM associate director. According to Mr. Turcott, to have a successful system: (1) top line management must be actively involved in the system by reviewing performance themselves; (2) top management must believe that management by objectives works or will work in their organization, since the system requires a participative management style and a willingness to share power; (3) management by objectives must be integrated into other management systems, such as budgeting; (4) objectives should be negotiated and renegotiated if they seem unreasonable because of changing circumstances; (5) due process must exist throughout the cycle; (6) managers, supervisors, and employees must view participation in the system as an opportunity to win; and (7) the system must be tailored to the individual organization's needs.