Eric Anders was tired of wasting hours writing SMART performance objectives.
Using Fuel iX Copilots, Eric built a custom copilot for WillowTree's Marketing Services team that turns hours of performance management work into minutes.
The Challenge: Time-consuming SMART objective creation
Creating SMART objectives was a headache Eric and his team knew too well. They were spending far too much time writing, rewriting and aligning their goals. A simple SMART objective could take twenty minutes just to enter into Workday, followed by multiple rounds of manager feedback and revisions. It was a drain on everyone's time and energy, and Eric knew there had to be a better way.
The Solution: Custom AI copilot for performance management
Without writing a single line of code or needing IT support, Eric took matters into his own hands and built a custom copilot called "Performance Objectives Assistant" using Fuel iX Copilots. It does the heavy lifting by creating, refining and aligning SMART objectives with company goals. Using Copilots' drag-and-drop interface and RAG technology, Eric connected company strategic plans and historical data to create a knowledge base that guides employees through crafting SMART goals that matter to the business.
Eric emphasizes the educational aspect of the tool: "I don't want this doing people's homework. I want this to explain to people how it did its homework so that they can then do it by themselves later on, so that they're not just constantly relying on this copilot to do things."
Eric’s approach ensures that the copilot helps employees understand the process, fostering long-term skill development in goal-setting.
Key Features:
- Real-time guidance on goal-setting processes
- Automated transformation of draft goals into SMART objectives
- Alignment verification with company revenue targets
- Confidential and secure objective development support
- Explanations of its reasoning to promote learning and understanding
Development Process: Building an AI-powered SMART objective tool
Eric's approach to developing the copilot was meticulous:
- He used Claude as the base model, intentionally restricting internet searches to maintain data privacy.
- The knowledge base includes the company's strategic plan, historical objectives and performance scorecards.
- Eric implemented a comprehensive system prompt that prioritizes specific data points and company goals.
- The copilot is designed to show its work, especially for calculations, ensuring transparency and accuracy.
- Built-in prompts encourage the copilot to continuously improve its own system prompt based on user interactions.
Watch the video below to see Eric Anders demonstrating the SMART objectives copilot he developed for WillowTree's Marketing Services team:
Impact and results
- 50-75% reduction in time spent creating SMART objectives
- Streamlined review process for managers
- Improved alignment with company strategic goals
- Enhanced quality and consistency of SMART objectives across the organization
- Reduction in back-and-forth communications between employees and managers
WillowTree leadership agrees
"Eric's copilot has been incredibly helpful for the MKS team as a resource to navigate the new performance development program more efficiently," says Ross Koon, Director of Digital Marketing at WillowTree. "It has enabled team members to create more robust performance objectives, in a SMART format, that are directly tied to our larger business goals."
Future applications of Copilots
Eric's success has sparked ideas for additional Copilots use cases, such as:
- Tracking and analyzing one-on-one meetings between managers and employees
- Providing year-end performance summaries based on recorded conversations and goals
- Assisting in the onboarding process by preserving institutional knowledge
Eric's story shows what happens when you empower innovative employees with powerful AI tools. By giving Eric the opportunity to lead with Fuel iX Copilots, he transformed a tedious process into an efficient solution that can benefit any employee across the organization.
Now, freed from the drudgery of SMART goal creation, Eric and his team can focus their energy on delivering exceptional digital marketing solutions.
