Setting Meaningful & Effective Goals Excerpt

Understanding Goal Setting

Goal setting is a powerful way of motivating people and yourself. The value of goal setting is so well recognized that entire management systems, like Management by Objectives, have goal setting basics incorporated within them.

Goal-setting theory is generally accepted as among the most valid and useful motivation theories in industrial and organizational psychology, human resource management, and organizational behavior.

Many of us have been introduced to the concepts of SMART goals. It seems natural to assume that by setting a goal that’s Specific, Measurable, Attainable (& Agreed Upon), Relevant, and Time-framed, we will be well on our way to accomplishing it. This White paper considers the 5 Golden Rules of Setting Meaningful and Effective Goals, the SMART Goals Criterion, and the 5 Encompassing Principles that ensure your goals are value-added to your successful endeavors.

Contents: Setting Meaningful & Effective Goals

Understanding SMART Goal Setting				1
	Locke’s Goal Setting Theory			2
		Goal Setting Theory		3
	The Five Golden Rules of Goal Setting			3
		Rule #1: Set Goals that Motivate You		3
		Rule #2: Set SMART Goals		4
			Set Specific Goals	4
			Set Measurable Goals	4
			Set Attainable Goals	4
			Set Relevant Goals	4
			Set Time-framed Goals	5
		Rule #3: Set Goals in Writing		5
		Rule #4: Make an Action Plan		5
		Rule #5: Stick With It!		5
	Key Points about Goal Setting			6
	SMART Criterion			6
		Specific		6
		Attainable (Achievable)		7
		Relevant (results oriented):		7
		Time-framed		8
	Five Principles of Goal Setting			9
		1. Clarity		9
		2. Challenge		9
		3. Commitment		10
		4. Feedback		10
		5. Task Complexity		11
	Key Points about SMART Goal Setting			11

Locke’s Goal-Setting Theory

But is this the best way of setting goals?

To answer this, we look to Dr. Edwin Locke’s pioneering research on goal setting and motivation in the late 1960s. In his 1968 article “Toward a Theory of Task Motivation and Incentives,” he stated that employees were motivated by clear goals and appropriate feedback. Locke went on to say that working toward a goal provided a significant source of motivation to reach the goal – which, in turn, improved performance.

This paper summarizes and integrates research concerning a long-neglected topic in psychology: the relationship between conscious goals and intentions and task performance. The fundamental premise of this research is that an individual’s conscious ideas regulate his actions. Studies are cited demonstrating that:

Hard (or complex) goals produce a higher level of performance (output) than easy goals;
Specific challenging goals produce a higher level of output than a goal of “do your best”; and
Behavioral intentions regulate choice behavior.

The theory also views goals and intentions as mediators of the effects of incentives on task performance. Evidence is presented supporting the view that monetary incentives, time limits, and knowledge of results do not affect performance level independently of the individual’s goals and intentions.

A theoretical analysis supports the same view concerning three other incentives: participation, competition, and praise and reproof. Finally, behavioral intentions were found to mediate the effects of money and “verbal reinforcement” on choice behavior. It is concluded that any adequate theory of task motivation must take account of the individual’s conscious goals and intentions. The applied implications of the theory are discussed.

However, this information does not seem revolutionary to us some 40 years later; yet, it shows his theory’s impact on professional and personal performance.

In this article, we look at what Locke had to say about goal setting and how we can apply his theory to our own performance goals.

The research on which many of the studies cited in this paper were based was supported by Nonr contract 4792(00) from the Office of Naval Research. Other studies were supported by grant No. MH 12103-01 from the National Institutes of Mental Health.

Goal-Setting Theory

Locke’s research showed that there was a relationship between how challenging and specific a goal was and people’s performance of a task. He found that specific and challenging goals led to better task performance than vague or easy goals.

Telling someone to “Try hard” or “Do your best” is less effective than “Try to get more than 80% correct” or “Concentrate on beating your best time.” Likewise, having a goal that’s too easy is not a motivating force. Challenging goals are more motivating than easy goals because it’s much more of an accomplishment to achieve something that you have to work for.

A few years after Locke published his article, another researcher, Dr. Gary Latham, studied the effect of goal setting in the workplace. His results supported what Locke had found precisely, and the inseparable link between goal setting and workplace performance was formed.

In 1990, Locke and Latham published their seminal work, “A Theory of Goal Setting & Task Performance.” In this book, they reinforced the need to set specific and challenging goals, and they outlined three other characteristics of successful goal setting.

The Five Golden Rules of Goal Setting

Rule #1: Set Goals that Motivate You.

When you set goals for yourself, it is essential that they motivate you: This means making sure it is important to you, and there is value in achieving it. If you have little interest in the outcome, or it is irrelevant given the larger picture, then the chances of you putting in the work to make it happen are slim. Motivation is key to achieving goals.

Set goals that relate to the high priorities in your life. Without this type of focus, you can end up with far too many goals, leaving you too little time to devote to each one. Goal achievement requires commitment, so to maximize the likelihood of success, you need to feel a sense of urgency and have an “I must do this” attitude. When you don’t have this “must-do” factor, you risk putting off what you need to do to make the goal a reality. This result, in turn, leaves you feeling disappointed and frustrated with yourself, both of which are de-motivating. And you can end up in a very destructive “I can’t do anything or be successful at anything” frame of mind.

Tip: To make sure your goal is motivating, write down why it’s valuable and important to you. Ask yourself, “If I were to share my goal with others, what would I tell them to convince them it was a worthwhile goal?” You can use this motivating value statement to help you if you start to doubt yourself or lose confidence in your ability to make it happen.

Rule #2: Set SMART Goals

You have probably heard of “SMART Goals” already. But do you always apply the rule? The simple fact is that for any goal to be achieved, it must be designed to be SMART. There are many variations on what SMART stands for, but the essence is this – Goals should be:

Specific
Measurable
Attainable (& Agreed Upon)
Relevant
Time Framed

Set Specific Goals

Your goal must be clear and well-defined. Vague or generalized goals are not achievable because they don’t provide sufficient direction. Remember, you need goals to show you the way. How useful would a map of the United States be if there were only state borders marked on it and you were trying to get from Miami to Los Angeles? Do you even know which state you are starting from, let alone which one you’re headed to? Make it as easy as you can to get where you want to go by defining precisely where it is you want to end up.

Set Measurable Goals

Include precise amounts, dates, etc., in your goals so you can measure your degree of success. If your goal is defined as “To reduce expenses,” how will you know when you are successful? Do you have a 1% reduction in one month’s time or in two years when you have a 10% reduction? Without a way to measure your success, you miss out on the celebration that comes with knowing you actually achieved something.

Set Attainable Goals that are Agreed Upon

Make sure that it’s possible to achieve the goals you set. If you set a goal that you have no hope of achieving, you will only demoralize yourself and erode your confidence.

However, resist the urge to set goals that are too easy. Accomplishing a goal that you didn’t have to work very hard for can be an anticlimax at best and can also make you fear setting future goals that carry a risk of non-achievement. By setting realistic yet challenging goals, you hit the balance you need. These are the types of goals that require you to “raise the bar,” and they bring the greatest personal satisfaction.

Set Relevant Goals

Goals should be relevant to the direction you want your life and career to take. By keeping goals aligned with this, you’ll develop the focus you need to get ahead and do what you want. Set widely scattered, conflicting, or inconsistent goals, and you’ll squander your time – and your life – away.

Set Time-Framed Goals

Your goals must have a deadline (and perhaps some established milestones for longer or more complex goal projects). This again is so that you know when to celebrate your success. When you are working on a deadline, your sense of urgency increases, and achievement will come that much quicker.

To be continued…

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