Learning Goal setting and Performance: - What, Why and How?

Goals refer to future valued outcomes, it is the one thing that implies discontent with one’s present condition and desire to attain an objective and outcome. The feeling of success after pursuing important and meaningful goal is the primary standard of self-satisfaction.

So it makes the Goal Setting the first and foremost discretionary creating process in order to motivate people or to motivate yourself. The value of goal setting is so well recognized that the entire management system, like organisational management have goal settings basic incorporate within them.

But the question is How the Goals can be set? To answer this first let’s talk about objectives-which can be assigned by others (like the process of objective setting by our Bosses),which can be set in a group (like in a group task and a project when assigned to a team) or it can be self-set. However the most important thing is what are the parameters or principles which need to keep in mind while doing the Goal setting. We heard about the SMART (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Reliable and Time-bound) goals, but in my opinion and learning from the class the key moderators of goal setting are:-

1. Feedback: - which people need in order to track progress

2. Commitment to the Goal: -which is enhanced by self-efficacy and viewing the goal as important

3. Task complexity: - which measures our sense of accomplishment after completing it

4. Situational constraints: -which moderates the goal effect w.r.t the available resources that we have in order to accomplish a task.  

Now how Goal setting for any organisation affects the performance? Performance is related job/position for any employee. Goal setting and achieving those goals help to drive for the next assignment along with change in the satisfaction level. But one should remember that personal Goals must be aligned with the organisation’s objectives and goals, otherwise how SMART the goal is, it won’t be having any impact on organisational productivity.

In the end I will say it’s not like you must follow a well written or a well augmented process to set your Goal, it all depends on you that how you will interpret and how much you innovate in order to set your GOALS.