This overview of goal setting was prepared by Holly Caston-White while a Management major with a concentration in Human Resources in the College of Business at Southeastern Louisiana University.
Introduction
Goal setting can create a strong relationship between the different levels of management and lower level employees. Placing certain goals on employees could motivate them in a way which increases production, improves customer service and promotes an overall great image of the company. Also, by setting goals in someone’s professional career it could lead them to an overall change in their personal life as well. When a goal is reach it can boost a person’s sprit and give them the reason to aim higher and ultimately reach a personal goal they never thought possible. Anytime, a goal is reach it can lead to a level of success. It is a well known fact that success always breeds a desire for more personal and professional growth and a desire to be even more successful.
The Idea in a Nutshell
The goal setting concept is about a person or company trying to reach a certain object or end result that one strives to attain or aim for. These goals do not have to be large in size but can be obtain over a period of time. It is also possible by just completing smaller achievements they will help a person or persons reach a larger goal that ultimately might not have been obtainable without the smaller goals being completed.
The first studies of goal setting were performed by Cecil Alec Mace in 1935; however, Edwin A. Locke began to examine goal setting in the mid 1960s by deriving his idea for goal-setting from Aristotle. The idea behind goal setting was to make a person more prone to work through setbacks. In other words, a person is more willing to work through a setback if there is an important attended goal at the end. Pursuing a goal can lead an individual to develop cognitive strategies and can their change behavior which ultimately leads to the completion of more goals which are set in the future. Goal setting also breeds persistence within a person who is goal orientated which for a corporation could mean a number of positive things such as drive, desire and commitment.
The Top Ten Things You Need to Know About Goal Setting
1. The apparent benefits of knowing the Organization you are employed for or knowing your aspirations can help with the first goal setting rule. You should always Review the Organizations Mission or Purpose. In other words, if you choose a company whose values you do not agree with it may be impossible for you to set larger goals for yourself and the company. In the same respect, a company mission statement or purpose may be the reason you desire the employment of that company so to understand the mission statement my help you set the proper goals to gain the employment of your dreams.
2. Resources when setting goals can be extremely important. Whether or not you are setting personal or professional goals you should use every available resource and evaluate all the information at your finger tips. This is very important in today’s society because so much information can be located with the click of a mouse. Therefore; do not forget to do the research necessary but also consider the content of that research and its importance to your goal.
3. Before you can worry about resources and there importance and even before you can review a mission statement you must decide what goals you wish to accomplish. Therefore, determine your goals individually and/or gather input from others. Sometimes it helps to determine your path if you have gathered information from the ones who are closest to you. Do not be afraid of the feedback take it in stride and learn from it.
4. After you have determined your goals. The fourth thing that is most important is to write them down. Communication is a big key in making sure that you will complete those goals and be held accountable if they are not reached. However, that does not mean that you will reach every goal you set but as mentioned earlier it will make you more prone to work through those setbacks and make you a stronger person and/or employee.
5. It is important to always review your results regarding your personal and your professional goals. You should always take time to reevaluate your progress and see what changes or adjustments should be made in order to accomplish what goals have already been set. If some adjustments should be made you made want to get some feedback from another individually to see if they have better ideas that could help you revaluate and change your process. If you do not review your process this can reduce self-efficacy and thereby harm the performance outcomes in the long run.
6. When setting a goal for yourself or an employee be positive. It is difficult to get people excited about a project or a goal which needs to be completed if you are not positive. You will get a better reception from your employee and/or yourself if things are approached in a positive light. An incentive may be the given to make the goal more fun to complete. This technique is commonly used around the world to gain an end result which is being requested by a higher power.
7. Set Priorities: When goals are being handed out to certain employee or even to you set an order to be followed. If this order is set in a way which is easier for you to follow it is more likely to be accomplished in a timely manner. All of your goals should have priorities so that you are not doubling back or having to re-do an item on your list of goals because you skip a step. This will also allow you to not feel overwhelmed by having to many goals to complete and helps keep your direction on the most important ones at hand.
8. A useful way to making goals more powerful is to use the SMART mnemonic. This mnemonic is just a short and fast way for someone to remember the way to keep their goals in check. Any other words make sure your goals are specific, measurable, attainable, relevant and time-bound.
· S – Specific
· M – Measurable
· A – Attainable
· R – Relevant
· T – Time-bound
9. Goal setting is not just writing a few items down and hoping that you will complete them in some fashion. A part of goal setting is to be able to motivate you, an employee or even a team of co-workers. Goal setting will also help you build your self confidence, based on successful achievement of your goals or your team’s goals. I work for a company who preaches self confidence, reaching for the stars and setting goals which may seem impossible but to always dream of the impossible. They also believe you never give up and if you fall that a team mate will be there to help pick you up and get you back on track for your goals. Support of a team mate, boss or the company in which you work for is sometimes over looked but can be a key factor in goal setting. It can also mean the difference between making those dreams, goals come true in the short term and long term. for you personally and for the company in the long term. I have always believed that a happy employee will work harder for any boss and will do everything in their power to see that the goals are meet.
10. Brainstorming can also be helpful in setting your personal and professional goals. In other words, you may need to brain storm on the items in which you wish to achieve or find most important in your life. You must be organized or have some sort of map of the goals you wish to achieve in your life time. Whether those goals are more personal or professional you will not be able to complete any goals unless you do some soul searching to locate the most important ones to you. However, please make sure that you intend to complete those goals set forth by you. All goals are not easy to complete by if the intention is there they will form the basis for your goals and the fulfillment of your dreams.
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My Take
The concept of goal setting is very important not only in the world of business but also in daily life. Those people who set goals and follow them in my opinion are more likely to complete those goals. They are also more likely to be successful and driven. Setting goals gives you something to strive for. A large part of goal setting is keeping a person motivated, wanting to aim for something better. Another part of goal setting that I find very positive is that it keeps you very organized and you feel like you have been able to scratch something off of your daily list whether you are at work or home.
References
1. Career Success Through Goal Setting. (n.d.). How to Make A Resume – Learn How to Do a Resume Right. Retrieved July 19, 2010, from http://www.powerful-sample-resume-formats.com/goal-setting.html
2. Robbins, S., & Coulter, M. (2009). Foundations Of Planning. Management (10 ed., pp. 143-160). Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Pearson Prentice Hall.
3. Form, s. t. (n.d.). Success Factors Goal Management Software. Success Factors Business Execution Software. Retrieved July 19, 2010, from http://www.successfactors.com/info/en/goal-management-software/?source=Google_ppc&kw=Goal%20Setting&ad-id=1685157409&gclid=CLSM5YSx-KICFYlY2godXxGSkg
4. Theory, u. g., & setting, L. r. (n.d.). Locke’s Goal Setting Theory – Understanding SMART – Goal Setting Tools from MindTools.com. Mind Tools – Management Training, Leadership Training and Career Training – Right Here, Right Now.. Retrieved July 19, 2010, from http://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newHTE_87.htm
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Contact Info:
To contact the author of “Top Ten Management on Goal Setting,” please email Holly Caston-White at W0219558@selu.edu or hollywhitemk@gmail.com.
BIOGRAPHY
David C. Wyld (dwyld.kwu@gmail.com) is the Robert Maurin Professor of Management at Southeastern Louisiana University in Hammond, Louisiana. He is a management consultant, researcher/writer, and executive educator. His blog, Wyld About Business, can be viewed at http://wyld-business.blogspot.com/. He also maintains compilations of his student’s publications regarding management concepts (http://toptenmanagement.blogspot.com/), book reviews (http://wyld-about-books.blogspot.com/), international foods (http://wyld-about-food.blogspot.com/).
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Top Ten Management on Goal Setting: An Overview of How to Set Your Professional and Personal Goals Today
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