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Goal Setting
Goal Setting involves setting specific, measurable and time targeted objectives.
In an organizational or business context, it may be an effective tool for making
progress by ensuring that participants are clearly aware of what is expected
from them, if an objective is to be achieved. On a personal level, Goal setting
is a process that allows people to specify then work towards their own
objectives - most commonly with financial or career-based goals. Goal setting is
a major component of Personal development literature.
The business technique of Management by objectives uses the principle of goal
setting. In business, goal setting has the advantages of encouraging
participants to put in substantial effort; and, because every member is aware of
what is expected of him or her (high role perception), little room is left for
inadequate effort going unnoticed.
To be most effective goals should be tangible, specific, realistic and have a
time targeted for completion. There must be realistic plans to achieve the
intended goal. For example, setting a goal to go to Mars on a shoe string budget
is not a realistic goal while setting a goal to go to Hawaii as a backpacker is
a possible goal with possible, realistic plans.
One drawback of goal setting is that implicit learning may be inhibited. This is
because goal setting may encourage simple focus on an outcome without openness
to exploration, understanding or growth. "Goals provide a sense of direction and
purpose" (Goldstein, 1993, p.96). Locke et al. (1981) examined the behavioral
effects of goal-setting, concluding that 90% of laboratory and field studies
involving specific and challenging goals led to higher performance than easy or
no goals.
Long term goal
A long-term goal is an achievement set to be reached over a long period of time.
The period of time defined for reaching the goal can be almost any length of
time; although most long-term goals tend to be measured in years. It would be
appropriate to define a long-term goal for this week, month, year, lifetime,
etc. The definition of a long-term goal usually involves setting short-term
goals to divide the timeline of achieving the long-term goal.
Short-term and long-term goals are important tools in measuring success. They
are used in a variety of areas: financial, personal and business to name a few.
Setting and tracking goals is an important step in achieving success in almost
any endeavor.
 Short
term goal
A short-term goal is something to be accomplished in a short period of time.
There is no specific length of time related to the definition of a short-term
goal. That is to say, a short term goal may be achieved in a day, week, month,
year, etc. The time frame for a short-term goal is related to its context in the
overall timeline that it is being applied to. For instance, a short-term goal
for a month long project may be measured in days where as a short-term goal for
someone’s life might be measured by months or years. Short-term goals are
usually defined in relation to a long-term goal or goals.
Short-term and long-term goals are important tools in measuring success. They
are used in a variety of areas: financial, personal and business to name a few.
Setting and tracking goals is an important step in achieving success in almost
any endeavor.
Project Goals
Good project management technique states goals/objectives can be better defined
by following the guidelines from using the SMART[1] acronym:
Specific - Objective or goal can't be diffuse or nebulous but should be
precisely defined
Measurable - Define a method of measuring the objective/goal
Agreed-To/Achievable - All parties need to agree to the objective/goal, and it
also must be achievable
Realistic/Rewarding/Relevant - It must be a realistic objective/goal, and it
must make sense to do it
Time-related - to be completed within an agreed time scale
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