Goal Setting Tips for Success

What is a goal?

A goal is a desired result or possible outcome that a person or a system envisions, plans and commits to achieve: a personal or organizational desired end-point in some sort of assumed development. Many people or organizations endeavour to reach goals within a finite time by setting deadlines.
It is roughly similar to purpose or aim, the anticipated result which guides reaction, or an end, which is an object, either a physical object or an abstract object, that has intrinsic value.

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Why is goal setting important?

Goals help achieve success. People tend to maintain expectations, not surpass them. Thus, expectations or goals should be challenging, yet within a person’s or group’s grasp. Goals are outside an individual and sometimes referred to as “hoped for” rewards toward which motives are directed. Goals create common tasks and processes for a group or individuals. By having them, a group knows what it has to do and can work together on the goals.

goal setting can:

• serve as clear and specific delegations of responsibilities
• offer more diversity of services and programs by updating and improving old programs and developing new ones
• identify both individual and organizational strengths and weaknesses
• allow clarification and/or development of an organization’s mission or philosophy
• focus our efforts in a consistent direction
• increase success because success can be defending as the achievement of a goal
• serve as self-motivators and energizers

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Goal Setting Tips for Success

•Clarity:

 A clear goal and specific goal can be measured. It should leave no room for misunderstanding. Goals should be explicit regarding what behaviour is desired and should paint a picture of what successful completion looks like. Visualize the desired outcome!

•Commitment:

 For goals to be effective, ideally, they are mutually agreeable between the supervisor and employee. Of course, the goal should be in line with expectations you have for the employee. This approach gives the employee the opportunity to share their hopes and ideas for future performance and growth.

•Resources: 

Working with others to identify the resources and collaboration that may be needed to achieve one’s goals is essential to success.

•Feedback:

Ongoing, regular, check-ins is a chance to correct/coach or clarify before the goal has been reached. The employee may have questions, operational needs may shift, and/or the employee is in process of going about things the wrong way. Open, two-way, communication is essential!

•Challenge:

 Most employees are motivated by a challenge! When possible, a goal should offer the opportunity for growth, or a “stretch” in response, and may even be inspirational, arising out of the values and interests of the department and/or organization. Whatever the level of challenge the goal should be achievable.

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The Three Major Types of Goals

Performance Goals:

Answer the questions:
What needs to be accomplished or addressed this year (e.g. project, problem, process, task,
innovation, efficiency, improvement in a related behaviour)?
What are the most critical tasks and activities that the employee is responsible for in his/her
day-to-day role?
Does the work at hand need to…?
•increase something (output, effectiveness, funding)
•provide something (service, training, research)
•improve something (efficiency, level of effort, communication, customer service)
•decrease something (inefficiency, redundancy; expenses)
•save something (time or resources)
What…
•skills and behaviours are needed to lead to success?
•steps are necessary to complete the goal?
•resources, tools, skills, and support are needed?
•challenges/obstacles might be faced?

Professional Growth and Development Goals:

(i.e., increase depth of knowledge or skills) and may help prepare for a new or future role.
Answer the questions:
What skills or behaviours does the employee need to gain or build on to stay current or grow in their
current role?
What sort of knowledge or experience is needed to advance or move into another role?
Discuss with the employee…
•Is there is a gap between the skills and experience needed for the employee to be even more
effective in their current role? What steps can the employee take to fill that gap?
•What skills and knowledge can I develop to help address future needs or challenges of the
department?
•How can I use my talents/interests to a greater degree in my current role?
•What would make work even more satisfying for me?
Professional growth and development activities do not always pertain to training. Additional
examples include:
•Working as a part of a team on a department project or initiative.
•Participating on a College committee.
•Giving a presentation about a project to co-workers, another department on campus, or at a
professional conference.
•Providing training to co-workers on a topic or skill that you have mastered.
•Leading a team/department discussion about a current work project or relevant topic.
•Connecting with groups in the community that focus on skill development – for example,
Toastmasters is a non-profit organization that focuses on the improvement of communication,
public speaking and leadership skills.

Organizational Goals:

 These are goals set by a department, division, or by the College for the upcoming year that is a statement about a desired future direction and describes what the organization is trying to accomplish. This allows those responsible for setting that direction to develop a common understanding. Goals may be strategic (making a broad statement of where the organization wishes to be at some future point) or tactical (defining specific short-term results for departments within the organization). Goals serve as an internal source of motivation and commitment and provide a guide to action.

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How does one develop effective goals?

Think about the future. If you are developing group goals, try to think of at least two ways to describe the future through the group’s or members’ tasks or purposes. Use your organization’s purpose statement. A purpose defines what the goals need to be and then these goals can be adjusted each year. By being open to feedback, one can get new ideas for goals. The extent that individuals and groups perceive their own goals as being satisfied by the accomplishment of organizational goals is the degree of integration of goals.

process for brainstorming goals:

• Allow ideas to start goals.
• Members should begin to talk about what they would like the group to accomplish.
• Let every member take part in the brainstorming. This is important for morale and cohesion. Also, members are more likely to support what they help to create.
• Unrealistic goals should not be weeded out until later.
• When finalizing the goals, make sure that they are measurable.

after brainstorming, prioritize the goals:

• Place goals in order of importance. This can be difficult because each member has individual ideas of what is important for the group.
• Have members rank the goals on their own and then share their ideas with the group to reach consensus.
• Break into small groups to prioritize goals concerning different segments of the organization.
• After goal setting, develop plans to achieve the goals so they are more than nice words.

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