Goal Setting

Goal setting is a major component of personal-development. It is a process of deciding what we want to accomplish in our life. It involves the development of an action plan designed to motivate and guide a person or group toward a goal. A goal is an idea of the future or desired result that a student or a group of students envisions, plans and commits to achieve Students endeavour to reach goals within a finite time by setting deadlines. Goals are a form of motivation that sets the standard for self-satisfaction with performance. Achieving the goal one has set for oneself is a measure of success, and being able to meet job challenges is a way one measures success in the workplace.

Why is Goal Setting important?

Top-level athletes, successful business people and achievers in all fields all set goals. Setting goals gives us long-term vision and short-term motivation. It focuses our acquisition of knowledge, and helps us to organize our time and our resources so that we can make the most of our life. By setting sharp, clearly defined goals, we can measure and take pride in the achievement of those goals, and we will see forward progress in what might previously have seemed a long pointless grind. we will also raise your self-confidence, as we recognize our own ability and competence in achieving the goals that we have set.

Starting to Set Personal Goals:

We can set our goals on a number of levels:

•        First we will create our "big picture" of what we want to do with our life (or over, say, the next   10 years), and identify the large-scale goals that we want to achieve.

•        Then, we break these down into the smaller and smaller targets that we must hit to reach our lifetime goals.

•        Finally, once we have our plan, we start working on it to achieve these goals.

This is why we start the process of setting goals by looking at our lifetime goals. Then, we work down to the things that we can do in, say, the next five years, then next year, next month, next week, and today, to start moving towards them.

Principles of goal setting

Clarity- This is where SMART goals draw most from is the concept of setting clear, “specific” goals for best results. Those who set a goal of “make more sales” are less successful than those whose goal is “make 5% more sales than last year.” A clear goal is easier to measure and easier to appreciate when you reach that goal. This makes the entire process more inspiring.

Challenge – Goal setting theory indicates that people are more successful when they set challenging goals. Any initiative that people are more successful when they set challenging goals. Any initiative requires effort and discipline. When you set the goal too low, you’re less likely to feel like the payoff is worth that effort, undermining motivation. By contrast, setting a challenging goal balances effort with reward and generates motivation. Just be careful but to confuse “challenging” with “unrealistic.”

Commitment- This principle particularly applies in organizational setting where the goals in question are achieved by a group. Personal ownership is critical for success. Managers must deliver proper preparation and gain “buy-in” from each member of team before the task is accepted or “owned” by the group. Team members who do not feel an internal ownership may not work with the diligence required, even with external motivations (or threats).

Feedback- feedback or asking questions allows for clarification and course correction. This is particularly important if the first principle has clearly defined. A goal might be either too difficult or too easy. A team leader may discover that there are members who have not bought in as needed and will need to do the work to build ownership. If all is going well, the only feedback required might be to measure progress and confirm that the goal is on task to be met.

Task Complexity- this principle takes into account the observation that some goals require more complexity to achieve. “Working out 3 times a week” is a goal that requires only identifying a preferred place or form of exercise. “Making 5% more sales” may involve many more tasks to reach- marketing plans and collateral, incentive plans for salespeople, research, lead nurturing, etc.

What are SMART goals?

SMART goals are targets or objectives that an individual is trying to achieve over a certain period of time. These types of goals help us to align our behaviour with the bigger picture. It is essential for self-leadership and it will help us focus on what we need to actually achieve it. The definition of the acronym SMART stands for:

·        Specific (simple, sensible, significant)

·        Measurable (meaningful, motivating)

·        Achievable (agreed, attainable)

·        Relevant (reasonable, realistic and resourced, results-based)

·        Time-bound (time-based, time limited, time/cost limited, timely, time-sensitive)

How to use SMART

1.     Specific-

Your goal should be specific and clear, otherwise you won’t be able to focus your efforts or feel truly motivated to achieve it. When drafting your goal, try to answer the five “W” questions:

·        What do I want to accomplish?

·        Why is this goal important?

·        Who is involved?

·        Where is it located?

·        Which resources or limits are involved?

Example

Imagine that you are currently a marketing executive, and you would like to become head of marketing. A specific goal could be, “I want to gain the skills and experience necessary to become head of marketing within my organization, so that I can build my career and lead a successful team”.

2.     Measurable

It is important to have measurable goals, so that you can track your progress and stay motivated. Assessing progress helps you to stay focused, meet your deadlines, and feel the excitement of getting closer to achieving your goal.

A measurable goal should address questions such as:

·        How much?

·        How many?

·        How will I know when it is accomplished?

Example

You might measure your goal of acquiring the skills to become head of marketing by determining that you will have completed the necessary training courses and gained the relevant experience within five years’ time.

3.     Achievable

Your goal also needs to be realistic and attainable to be successful. In other words, it should stretch your abilities but still remain possible. When you set an achievable goal, you may be able to identity previously overlooked opportunities or resources that can bring you closer to it.

An achievable goal will usually answer questions such as:

·        How can I accomplish this goal?

·        How realistic is the goal, based on other constraints, such as financial factors?

Example

You might need to ask yourself whether developing the skills required to become head of marketing is realistic, based on your existing experience and qualifications. For example, do you have the time to complete the required training effectively? Are the necessary resources available to you? Can you afford to do it?

4.     Revelant

This step is about ensuring that your goal matters to you, and that it also aligns with other relevant goals. We all need support and assistance in achieving our goals, but it is important to retain control over them. So, make sure that your plans drive everyone forward, but that you are still responsible for achieving your own goal.

A relevant goal can answer “yes” to these questions:

·        Does this seem worthwhile?

·        Is this the right time?

·        Does this match our other efforts/needs?

·        Am I the right person to reach this goal?

Example

You might want to gain the skills to become head of marketing within your organization, but is it the right time to undertake the required training, or work toward additional qualifications? Are you sure that you are the right person for the head of marketing role? Have you considered your spouse’s goals? For example, if you want to start a family, would completing training in your free time make this more difficult?

5.     Time-bound

Every goal needs a target date, so that you have a deadline to focus on and something to work toward. This part of the SMART goal criteria helps to prevent everyday tasks from taking priority over your longer-term goals.

A time-bound goal will usually answer these questions:

·        When?

·        What can I do six months from now?

·        What can I do six weeks from now?

·        What can I do today?

Example

Gaining the skills to become head of marketing may require additional training or experience, as we mentioned earlier. How long will it take you to acquire these skills? Do you need further training, so that you are eligible for certain exams or qualifications? It is important to give yourself a realistic time frame for accomplishing the smaller goals that are necessary to achieving your final objective.