Goal setting

Goal setting

Question # 1 When does goal setting work?

When people set goals for themselves, healthy things usually happen.

Daniel H. Pink: Drive, p. 50. https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1065405301

Nadim Matta found that huge amounts of talent and resources in developing countries were being devoted to developing topdown solutions for agricultural productivity, clean water, maternal health, and other areas.

So instead of experts and officials shaping solutions and giving them to the recipients, Nadim Matta worked with local leaders to challenge the ultimate recipients to come up with their own solutions in 100 days or less, and to use the experts, government officials, and aid workers as resources. https://hbr.org/2010/09/dont-let-your-next-crisis-go-t.html https://hbr.org/2012/12/in-a-change-effort-start-with.html

When people are committed to a goal, they will seek responsibility.

Douglas Mcgregor’s theory Y. Daniel H. Pink: Drive, p. 195. https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1065405301 http://faculty.haas.berkeley.edu/kurkoski/ba105/readings/basic%20motivation%20concepts.pdf

By establishing goals, individuals are motivated to take action to achieve those goals.

Locke’s goalsetting theory. http://www.jblearning.com/samples/076373473X/3473X_CH02_4759.pdf

It works to break goals into small, concrete steps.

https://hbr.org/video/4681126964001/break-your-big-goals-into-small-steps

People will be motivated to pursue the achievement of a desired goal if 1. they believe in the worth of the goal, and 2. they believe that their actions will ensure the attainment of the goal.

Vrooms expectancy theory. http://krepublishers.com/06-Special%20Volume-Journal/S-T%20&%20T-00-Special%20Volumes/T%20&%20T-SV-01Africa-Web/T%20&%20T-SV-01-06-053-07-Iguisi-Osarumwense/T%20&%20T-SI-06-053-07-Iguisi-O-Tt.pdf

When you set goals for yourself, it works to

set goals that build on your strengths – skills that you already now master.

https://hbr.org/2014/12/make-your-work-resolutions-stick

Share your goals with people you trust / love.

Ask them for support and encouragement when you need it.

Adapted from https://hbr.org/2014/12/make-your-work-resolutions-stick

Setting goals is an effective method to track achievement.

http://www.strategy-business.com/re/recentresearch/re00064

Question # 2 When does goal setting not work?

When goals are set by others, it can have dangerous side effects.

Examples:  Standardized test scores.  Sales targets.  Quarterly returns.

Daniel H. Pink: Drive, p. 50. https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1065405301

Too much emphasis on performance goals may

encourage unethical or unnecessarily risky behavior.

http://www.strategy-business.com/re/recentresearch/re00064

Sears set sales goals for its auto repair staff of USD 147 per hour. This goal prompted staff to overcharge for work and to complete unnecessary repairs. http://www.hbs.edu/research/pdf/09-083.pdf

Goals may promote competition rather than cooperation and ultimately lower overall performance. http://www.hbs.edu/research/pdf/09-083.pdf

Goal setting increases extrinsic motivation. However, goal setting can harm intrinsic motivation – by engaging people in a task for its own sake.

http://www.hbs.edu/research/pdf/09-083.pdf

Studies show that to think and produce creatively, people must forget about pleasing an audience, or pleasing critics, or winning prizes, or earning royalties. All such thoughts stifle creativity.

Instead they must focus fully on the product they are trying to create, as if creating it for its own sake. http://www.alternet.org/books/why-students-learn-better-playful-environment

Further inspiration https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/How-do-you-motivate-yourself-1378486