Contributed by B. Carol Huang
Goal setting is very important for anyone who wishes to have an achievement. The goal is like a blueprint for a building project, a road map for a journey, in which it will answer the questions like what, why, how and when.
What: answers destination, mission, and vision.
Why: answers the importance and value of the project and vision.
How: will lay out the routes, approaches, protocols, strategy to take, plus people will be involved.
When: makes progress steps measurable and traceable. It can be dissected into long term and short term (weekly monthly or daily)
Goals should be SMART. S: be specific on what you what to accomplish; set a timeline for when goals will start, where to start and how to proceed. M: goals need to be measurable, quantify or a timeline would help. A: achievable, goal setting is the first step toward the accomplishment, if it is not achievable it is not a goal. R: realistic, do not set goals so low so there is no challenge to promote the growth. T: a goal should be tangible.
Without a goal it is like a journey without a trip plan, driving without a destination. Having a clear set of goals will help to motivate people to achieve more and efficiently. If I tell people I will get a degree, obviously, people would ask me what is my current level of education, what is the reason I am seeking this degree l, what is the next level I want, and my interests. I will need to find professors in the desired field, prepare my application and know when to start as well as the expected time to finish. Once I am admitted, a more detailed plan will be made with a professor.
Back to the title, Communicating Goals and Expectations. In a workplace, goal setting will involve two parts: group goals, and individual goals. For better goal delivery, you need to recognize people who will be involved and clearly communicate your goals with them. You will also need to provide people with context and expectations as well as each one’s role and responsibility in the process. Based on the group’s big platform individuals will align their goals with the group’s goal to reach the desired achievement.
No goal, no go.
