Targets
Targets are good when managed properly. They have become the most trusted tool for managing the public sector in the UK.

Once you have identified your key performance indictors and found the best way to measure them, you should then start to set performance targets. This will give everyone in your business an idea of the targets they need to aim for, individually and collectively,

Advantages
Good targets help to reveal an organization’s objective and/or the problem in a process or system. In cases where a feasible target has not been met, good measurement and management of time and resources should be applied. They act as the foundation for any project

Disadvantages 1. When targets are set, they are automatically perceived to be of utmost importance, therefore, employees pay more attention to achieving them rather than doing the right thing (doing them well). 2. Targets only show part of the picture. According to Blastland and Dilnot, targets go wrong mainly because of an attempt to find one measurable thing to represent the whole. On the other hand, there is a tendency for the parts that are not being measured to do odd things.
Example: Call centers * Agents often feel under pressure to meet targets such as queuing times, call duration, number of calls etc. Providing quality services whilst trying to stay within these constraints becomes a difficult task e.g., meeting targets and losing loyal customers. 3. Targets are subject to game playing which is sometimes referred to as ‘hitting the target but missing the point’ so rather than management focusing on ‘what is really important’, then direct attention to ‘what games can I play to ensure I meet the target’.
Examples of Gaming: NHS * Misrepresenting information e.g. recording zero waiting times for patients that don’t turn up for an appointment. * Shifting responsibility to the next person or organization. * A&E often delay the acceptance of patients because they are under the care of the ambulance; therefore, the patient is not waiting. * The ambulances on the other hand, have targets of their own. To meet this target, they are faced with two options, wait till are attended to by the hospital or leave patients in the most ‘humane’ way. Would this be on the floor? Or left in a bed for two days by the hospital? Fortunately the NHS made more beds available but perhaps this was to get room for the inadequacies. * Denying a patient in pressing need of a trolley in order to stay within the maximum waiting time
These attempts may be detrimental especially when lives are involved because a patient’s state could worsen due to this compromise of safety and care.
From the video 4. Targets cause people to be dishonest to themselves and it reduces transparency in organizations e.g. people lying to keep their jobs, not disclosing information to cover up legal or immoral activities by police, accountants, consultants etc.
Bad measurement of targets could result in two cases: either people cheat or they take appropriate actions to meet the set goal but other things are compromised.

When dealing with numbers, it is crucial for managers to consider what the data suggests, why the data is being presented, by whom and what other data was not presented as these help make better decisions and set better targets.

The best strategy with targets is to be clear not only about what they measure, but what they do not, and to perceive how narrow the definition is. However, there is the organizations face when defining factors such quality and customer satisfaction.

Targets are essential to management because they take the organization from its present situation to its future goal. In order to ensure that employees and systems are working efficiently, monitoring and evaluation is needed. A good manager applies good management techniques and measurements to attain his target.