Goal Setting

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Goal Setting

• Dr. Jeanne Michalski
• Michalski_at_uta.edu

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GOAL SETTING

• In a wide variety of industries
• With a wide variety of people
• Those who set goals consistently outperformed
  those who did not --
• By a Significant Margin!!

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Goal Setting

• Research projects have established that
• Less than 3 of the population have identified
  specific personal or business goals
• Only approximately 1 of the population put goals
  in writing.

• People dont plan to fail -
• They simply fail to plan!!

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Goal Specifications
There are two types of goals poorly defined and
well defined. To obtain good results, having
well defined goals is a must.

• Poorly defined goals
• Stated in terms such as improve or increase.
• Not achievable or no target dates.
• Ambiguous in regard to what is expected.

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Goal Specifications

• Poorly defined goals...
• Theoretical and idealistic.
• Too brief and indefinite.
• Too long and complex.
• Distress producing and conflicting.
• Created without sincere self analysis

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Goal Specification

• Well defined goals are
• Stated numerically in terms of end results.
• Achievable at a specific time.
• Comprised of definite expectations.
• Challengingly high but practical.
• Precisely stated.
• Thoughtfully engaged.

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Goal Specification

• I will net 5,000 more than I did last year,
  which is the equivalent of a 10 increase.

• Make more money than last year.

• I will lose 12 pounds within the next 12 weeks,
  while at the same time exercise to improve my
  overall body muscle and skin tone.

• Lose weight.

• I will request feedback on my performance, from
  my boss, every month and act on his/her feedback
  to improve my performance . I will attend at
  least 2 educational seminars to expand my skills.

• Become better at my job.

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Goal Setting Basics

• Specific
• Challenging
• Achievable
• Participatively set
• SMART Goals
• Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, Time
  
• Set interim or subgoals.
• Use action verbs.
• Specific dates, times, and amounts.

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GOAL SETTING
Some thoughts to remember

• If possible have your employees set their own
  goals
• Hard goals are better than easy ones
• Goals can be revised as needed
• Writing down goals increases the probability they
  will be accomplished
• Sharing goals with others demonstrates our
  commitment to achieve them

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Participation

• No one knows the job better than those who do it.
• Workers are more likely to accept the goals with
  input.

Employee High Employee Low
Management High Participation Unilateral
Management Low Empowered / Self Managed No Goals
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Why Do Goals Motivate?
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Why Do Goals Motivate?

• Focus attention of the employee
• Prolong persistence
• Provide challenge competition
• Intrinsic and extrinsic rewards
• When goals are achieved
• Positive affect
• Job satisfaction
• Self-efficacy
• Organizational recognition and rewards

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Expectancy Theory

• Motivation E X I X V
• Expectancy The connection between behavior and
  the outcome
• Instrumentality The connection between outcome
  and a reward
• Valence Is the reward something that the
  individual values?
• People are motivated by intrinsic and extrinsic
  rewards they desire.
• People will only be motivated if outcome is
  possible.
• People will only be motivated if outcome is
  contingent on behavior.
• People will only be motivated if a reward is
  attached to the outcome.
• Line of sight is the perceived link between
  individual behavior and the reward.

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Goal Challenge and Performance
High Performance
Note Not to scale
Low Performance
Easy Moderately Difficult
Extremely Difficult
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GOAL SETTING
Setting challenging goals creates fear of failure
setting no goals guarantees it!!