google doc single chapter for editing: 

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1OjR0Ivtd2uZrYk9qzvDSBSUEPuWkv3sDsMrkLJriNSI/edit

1. Define the importance of goal setting in personal and professional development, identifying characteristics of effective, SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound) goals.

2. Develop strategies for planning and prioritizing goals, incorporating techniques for overcoming obstacles, maintaining motivation, and adapting to changes or setbacks.

3. Apply principles of goal setting to establish and pursue short-term and long-term objectives, evaluating progress and adjusting strategies as necessary to achieve success in academic, career, and personal life.

Text below is a starting point, we can build on this. Orriginal source: 

https://socialsci.libretexts.org/Bookshelves/Communication/Human_Relations_(Dias)/02%3A_Achieve_Personal_Success/2.03%3A_Goal_Setting?readerView

2.3: Goal Setting

Learning 

Objectives

• Be able to explain strategies you can use for goal setting.

• Embrace strategies on how you can effectively deal with change.

Goal Setting

As we discussed, our 

emotional intelligence is the cornerstone for career success. Part of self-management is knowing ourselves and being able to set goals based on understanding our own needs and wants. Many people end up adrift in life, with no real goal or purpose, which can show a lack of self-management. Some people are happy this way, but most people would prefer to have goals that can set the direction for their life. It is similar to going on a road trip without a map or GPS. You might have fun for a while, going where the wind takes you, but at some point, you may like to see specific things or stop at certain places, which creates the need for GPS. What happens if you have been driving aimlessly for a while but decide what you want to see is five hundred miles back the other way? A goal would have helped you plan the steps along the way of your trip. Goals are the GPS for your life. Research done by Locke et al. in the late 1960s shows a direct connection between goal setting and high achievement. [1] One of the most popular methods of setting goals is called the SMART philosophy. This includes the following “steps” or aspects to goal setting:

1. Specific. First, the goals need to be specific. Rather than saying, “I want to be a better person,” try a goal such as “volunteer two hours per week.” The more specific the goal, the more we are able to determine if we were successful in that goal. In other words, being specific allows us to be very clear about what we want to achieve. This clarity helps us understand specifically what we need to do in order to achieve the goal.

2. Measurable. The goal must be measured. At the end of the time period, you should be able to say, Yes, I met that goal.” For example, “increase my sales” isn’t measurable. Saying something such as, “I will increase my sales by 10 percent over the next two years,” is very specific and measurable. At the end of two years, you can look at how well you have performed and compare your goal with the result.

3. Attainable. The goals should be something we can achieve. We must either already have or be able to develop the attitudes, skills, and abilities in order to achieve the goal. This doesn’t mean you need these skills right now, but it does mean over time you should be able to develop them. For example, if my goal is to become a light aircraft pilot, but I am afraid of flying, it may mean I am not willing (or able) to develop the skills and abilities in order to achieve this goal. So this goal would not be attainable and I should choose another one.

4. Realistic. The goal that is set must be something you are willing and able to work toward. The goal cannot be someone else’s goal. For example, earning a business degree because your parents want you to may not be compelling enough to follow through with that goal. The goal should be realistic in terms of your abilities and willingness to work toward the goal. If I decided I wanted to be a WNBA player, this is probably not a realistic goal for me. I am too old; I am five feet two inches and not really willing to put in the time to get better at basketball. So as a result, I would likely not achieve this goal.

5. Time-oriented. There should always be a timeframe attached to a specific goal. Most individuals will have longer-term and shorter-term goals. For example, a long-term goal might be to manage a medical lab. In order to meet this longer-term goal, shorter-term goals might include the following:

   • Earn a medical lab technology degree

   • Obtain employment as a medical lab tech

   • Develop skills by attending two conferences per year

   • Develop positive relationships with coworkers and supervisor by using emotional intelligence skills

Within all of our goals, there are shorter-term 

objectives. Objectives are the shorter-term goals we must do in order to accomplish our bigger goals. For example, possible objectives for two of the goals mentioned previously might be the following:

• Earn a medical lab technology degree

  • Take three courses per quarter to finish in two years

  • Study at least three to six hours per day to earn a 3.5 GPA or higher

  • See my advisor once per quarter

  • Slot one night per week for social time, but focus on studies the rest of the time

• Obtain employment as a medical lab tech

  • Do an internship in the last quarter of school

  • Create a dynamic resume

  • Obtain recommendations from instructors

  • Attend the quarterly medical lab networking event while in school

Another effective strategy in goal setting is writing goals down.[2] Why is this so important? First, you are forced to clarify and think about specific goals using SMART 

objectives. Second, writing goals down can turn your direction into the right one, and you will be less likely to be sidetracked by other things. Writing goals down and revisiting them often can also provide an outlet for helping you celebrate meeting a certain objective. In our previous example, by writing these things down, we are able to celebrate smaller successes such as earning a 3.7 GPA or finishing an internship.

Research performed published in the journal Academy of Management also suggests that goals are much more likely to be met if the goal is set by the person attaining the goal.[3] For example, if Sherry’s parents want her to become a dental hygienist, but she really wants to become an automotive technician, achieving the goal of dental hygienist may be more difficult, because it’s not her own. While this may seem obvious, we can easily take on goals that other people want us to achieve—even well into our adult life. Expectations from our partner, spouse, friends, and our social 

group can influence our goals and make them not our own. For example, if in your group of friends all have the goal of becoming lawyers, we can assume this should be our goal, too. As a result, we may try to meet this goal but be unsuccessful or unmotivated because it isn’t truly what we want.

Another thing to consider about goal setting is that as we change, and situations change, we need to be flexible with them. For example, let’s say Phil has a goal of earning a degree in marketing. Suppose Phil takes his first marketing class but creates a great idea for a new business he would like to start once he graduates. At this point, Phil may decide earning an entrepreneurship degree instead makes the most sense. It is likely, as a result, since Phil’s goal has changed, 

objectives and timelines may need to change as well.

Revisiting our goals often is an important part of goal setting. One of the most popular examples for rigidity in goal setting was Ford. In 1969, the goal was to develop a car that weighed less than 2,000 pounds and was less than $2,000. This was to be done by the model year 1971. As you know, this was a very short time to re-engineer and redesign everything the organization had done in the past. Ford met their goal, as the Ford Pinto was introduced in 1971.[4] However, due to the rush to meet the goal, common safety procedures were not followed in the development process, which resulted in disaster. Engineers did not look at the safety issues in the placement of the fuel tank, which resulted in fifty-three deaths when the car went up in flames after minor crashes. While this is an extreme example, revisiting goals, including timelines, is also an important part of the goal-setting process.

Why Human Relations?

In a 2005 study [5] that compared violence and 

emotional intelligence, inmates were divided into nonviolent offenses and violent offenses. When emotional intelligence was measured, there was a clear difference between emotional intelligence deficiencies and violence as a vehicle to act out emotions. This, of course, is an extreme example, but it proves the point: the ability to understand our emotions allows us to be better prepared to handle those emotions appropriately, which in turn can create success personally and at work. It allows us to create coping tools to deal with emotions such as anger and frustration.

The ability to manage ourselves helps us handle our emotions but also allows us to handle ourselves in other ways. For example, practicing self-management can teach us how to forgo immediate gratification to meet our goals, a necessary skill to create the kind of life you want. 

Time management, handling change, and other skills allow us to be successful personally and professionally. Social awareness is a skill that helps us to see how we are affecting others. Often, we can get too tied up with ourselves and we fail to notice how another person is feeling. Someone who “gets” the social cues, for example, can develop positive working relationships and motivate people.

Relationship management can help us foster skills that help us maintain good working relationships with others. Learning how to handle conflict and communicate well are necessary skills to have a successful marriage, relationship, friendship, and work relationships.

All of these skills are part of every chapter in this book, as the core of a successful career and a happy work life is 

emotional intelligence skills.

Time Management

Part of reaching goals also refers to our ability to manage our time. This is also part of 

emotional intelligence, specifically, self-management—the ability to understand what needs to be done and appropriately allot time to achieve our goals. Time management refers to how well we use the time we are given. In order to meet our goals, we must become proficient at managing time. Common tips include the following:

• Learning how to prioritize. Develop the skills of making sure the most important things are done first (even if they are less fun).

• Avoid multitasking. Focus on one task and finish it before moving on.

• Don’t get distracted—for example, with e-mails, text messages, or other communications—while working. Set time aside to check these things.

• Make to-do lists. These lists can be daily, weekly, or monthly. Organizing in this way will help you keep track of tasks and deadlines. However, note that a study by the Wall Street Journal suggested 30 percent of people spend more time managing their to-do list than actually doing the work on them.[6] To-do lists can help manage time but should not be a hindrance to actually getting things done!

• Don’t overwork yourself. Schedule time for breaks and spend time doing things you enjoy.

• Be organized. Make sure your workspace, computer, and home are organized so you can find things easier. Much time is wasted looking for a file on a computer or a specific item you misplaced.

• Understand your work style, a self-awareness skill. Some people work better in the morning, while others work better at night. Schedule important tasks for times when you are at your peak.

• Don’t say yes to everything. Everyone has a limit, and being able to say no is an important part of managing time.

• Find ways to improve concentration. Learning how to meditate for twenty minutes a day or exercising, for example, can help focus your energy.

Effective 

time management can help us manage stress better but also ensures we can have time to relax, too! Making time management a priority can assist us in meeting our goals. Another important part of career success and personal success is the ability to deal with change, another aspect to emotional intelligence.

Dealing with Change

As we discussed, the ability to set goals is part of 

emotional intelligence. Perhaps equally as important, being flexible with our goals and understanding that things will change—which can affect the direction of our goals—is part of being emotionally intelligent.

Dealing with change can be difficult. Since most businesses are always in a state of flux, for career success, it is important we learn how to handle change effectively. But first, why do people tend to resist change? There are many reasons why:

1. People are afraid the change will affect the value of their skills. For example, if people are afraid of new technology, this could be because they are nervous that their skills using older technology will no longer be useful to the company. To combat this concern, use a can-do attitude about these kinds of changes. Be the first to sign up for training, since we know technological change is constant.

2. People are concerned about financial loss. Many people worry about how the change will affect them from a financial perspective. Will it result in lost hours, lost income? If a change is introduced and you aren’t sure how it will affect these things—and it is not effectively communicated—the best course of action is to talk with your supervisor to clarify how exactly this change will affect you.

3. Status quo is easier. People get comfortable. Because of this comfort level, change and the unknown seem scary. Try to always look for new ways to enhance and improve the workplace. For example, revisiting and improving the process for scheduling can help us from becoming stagnant.

4. Group norms exist. Sometimes team members are happy to change, but the company does not have a culture that embraces change. Listening to people’s ideas and reacting positively to them can help create a climate of change. Avoiding defensiveness and “going along with the crowd” can help combat this reason for not embracing change.

5. Leadership is required. The leadership in our organizations may not provide all of the information we need, or we may not trust them enough to lead us through a change. Despite this, change is inevitable, so obtaining clarification around the change expectations can be an important step to not only understanding the change, but helping the leader become a better leader.

When a change occurs or is occurring, people are likely to experience four phases associated with that change. First, they may experience denial. In this phase, they do not want to accept the change nor do they want to move on to the future. In the resistance phase, people may feel angry or hurt. They may wistfully think about how great things were before the change. In the third phase, exploration, the person may begin to accept the change but with some reservations. In this phase, there may be confusion as people start to clarify expectations. In the commitment phase, people have accepted the change, understand how they fit with the change, know how the change will affect them, and begin to embrace it. For example, assume Alan is an expert on the company’s most popular product offering, a special computer program used for accounting purposes. He is the organization’s top seller, with many of his commissions coming from this product. However, the company has just developed new accounting software, which has much better features for customers. He might find this adjustment difficult because he is comfortable with the current software, and it has been lucrative for him to sell it. Here is how he might go through the phases:

1. Denial. Alan does nothing. He continues about his job and ignores e-mails about the new product.

2. Resistance. Alan tells his coworkers that the change is unnecessary and wonders why they can’t continue selling the old product. He discusses why the old product is much better than the new one. He may complain to his manager and find reasons why the change is a bad idea.

3. Exploration. Alan is still nervous about the change but begins to use the new software and realizes it may have some worthwhile features. He wonders how that affects his ability to sell the product, and he begins to think about how he might sell the new software.

4. Commitment. Alan takes some training classes on the new product and realizes how much better it is. He talks with his coworkers about the new product and helps them understand how it works. He sends an e-mail to his customers introducing the new software and all of its benefits.

As you can see in this example, Alan’s resistance to the change was because he didn’t understand the need to change at first and he was worried about how this change would affect the value of his skills.

Because of technology changes and the fact that many companies have global operations and the need for businesses to be agile, change is a constant force affecting business. Be positive about change and accept it as a necessary part of our work life. We cannot expect things to stay the same for very long. The better we can get at accepting change, the more successful we will likely be in our career.

Many a theory has been written about how people undergo change, but one of the more popular models is Lewin’s Model on Change.[7] His model proposes three main phases of handling change:

1. Unfreezing. Friction causes change and reduction of forces cause a change to happen. For example, suppose Gillian has been unhappy in her job for three years. She recently gets a new manager who she doesn’t like, and a friend tells her about a job at a competing company. In this case, friction occurred (the new manager). In addition, Gillian was worried she wouldn’t be able to find another job, but now that she knows about a new job, that reduces the forces that prevented her from changing to begin with.

2. Change. Now that motivations to change have occurred, the change needs to actually occur. Change is a process, not one event at one time. For example, assume Gillian realized taking the new job makes sense, but even though she knows this, accepting the offer and going to her new job on the first day is still scary!

3. Refreezing. Once the change has been made, the refreezing process (which can take years or days, depending on the change) is where the change is the new “normal.” People form new relationships and get more comfortable with their routines. Gillian, for example, likely felt odd taking a different way to her new job and didn’t know where to have lunch. Gradually, though, she began to meet people, got used to her new commute, and settled in.

When we become comfortable with change, we are then able to allow changes in our professional lives. Often, people are too afraid for various reasons to go after that promotion or a new job. 

Lewin's Change Model

This short video explains how Lewin’s Change Model works. Willingness to change is necessary for career success!

Video 

2.3.1

2.3.1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uHR8gw6derg 

Key Takeaways

• Goal setting is a necessary aspect of career success. We must set goals in order to have a map of our life.

• When we set goals, we should use the SMART goals format. This asks us to make sure our goals are specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, and time-oriented.

• When setting goals, we will also use objectives. Objectives are the shorter-term things we must do in order to meet our goals.

• Time management is also a factor in goal setting. Developing good time management skills can bring us closer to our goals.

• Learning how to deal with change is another way to ensure career success. Many people are adverse to change for a variety of reasons. For example, sometimes it is easier to maintain the status quo because we know what to expect. Other reasons may include concern about financial loss and job security, unclear leadership communication, and the existence of group norms.

• Besides attitude and behavior, career promotion means being uncomfortable with possible changes. People resist change because of fear of job security, fear of the unknown, fear of failure, their individual personality, and bad past experience with change.

• Lewin’s model suggests three phases of change, which include unfreezing, change, and refreezing. These changes indicate that some motivation must occur for the change to happen (unfreeze). Once the change occurs, there can still be discomfort while people get used to the new reality. Finally, in the refreezing part, people are beginning to accept the change as the new normal.

Exercise 

2.3.1

2.3.1

1. Using the SMART model for setting goals, create at least three long-term goals, along with objectives.

2. As you learned in this chapter, time management is an important part of meeting goals. Take this time management quiz to determine how well you currently manage your time:psychologytoday.tests.psychte.../take_test.php?idRegTest=3208. Do you feel the test results were accurate? Why or why not?

References

1. Locke, Edwin A., Shaw, Karyll N., Saari, Lise M., & Latham, Gary P. (1981). Goal setting and task performance: 1969–1980. Psychological Bulletin, 90(1), 125–52.

2. Locke, E. A., & Latham, G. P. (1990). A theory of goal-setting and task performance. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall.

3. Shalley, Christina E. (1995, April). Effects of coaction, expected evaluation, and goal setting on creativity and productivity. Academy of Management Journal, 38(2), 483–503.

4. Why Goal Setting can Lead to Disaster. (2012, May 15). Forbes Magazine, accessed May 15, 2012, www.forbes.com/2009/02/19/set...t_wharton.html

5. Knight, Jennifer. (2005). Exploring emotional intelligence and IQ: Comparing violent and non-violent criminal offenders. Dissertation, accessed May 16, 2012,http://proquest.umi.com/pqdlink?did=...Fmt=7&clientId =79356&RQT=309&VName=PQD

6. Sandberg, Jared. (2004, September 10). Though time-consuming, to-do lists are a way of life. The Wall Street Journal. Accessed March 18, 2012,http://www.careerjournal.com/columni...10cubicle.html

7. Lewin, Kurt. (n.d.). Frontiers of group dynamics. Human Relations, 1, 5–41.

This page titled 2.3: Goal Setting is shared under a CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by Anonymous via source content that was edited to the style and standards of the LibreTexts platform; a detailed edit history is available upon request.

2. Effective Steps for Goal Setting  

4.3: Effective Steps for Goal Setting

Setting goals serves as a vehicle to help you get from point A to point B. It is important to establish goals for yourself to ensure progress through the career exploration and planning process.

Success Begins With Goals33

A goal is a desired result that you envision and then plan and commit to achieve. Goals can relate to family, education, career, wellness, spirituality, and many other areas of your life. Generally, goals are associated with finite time expectations, even deadlines.

As a college student, many of your goals are defined for you. For example, you must take certain courses, you must comply with certain terms and schedules, and you must turn in assignments at specified times. These goals are mostly set for you by someone else.

But there are plenty of goals for you to define yourself. For example, you decide what you would like to major in. You decide how long you are going to be in college or what terms you want to enroll in. You largely plan how you would like your studies to relate to employment and your career.

Goals can also be sidetracked. Consider the following scenario in which a student makes a discovery that challenges her to reexamine her goals, priorities, and timetables:

Janine had thought she would be an accountant, even though she knew little about what an accounting job might entail. Her math and organizational skills were strong, and she enjoyed taking economics courses as well as other courses in her accounting program. But when one of her courses required her to spend time in an accounting office working with taxes, she decided that accounting was not the right fit for her, due to the higher-stress environment and the late hours.

At first she was concerned that she invested time and money in a career path that was not a good fit. She feared that changing her major would add to her graduation time. Nevertheless, she did decide to change her major and her career focus.

Janine is now a statistician with a regional healthcare system. She is very happy with her work. Changing her major from accounting to statistics was the right decision for her.

This scenario represents some of the many opportunities we have, on an ongoing basis, to assess our relationship to our goals, reevaluate priorities, and adjust. Opportunities exist every day—every moment, really!

Below is a set of questions we can ask ourselves at any point to help focus on personal goals:

1. What are my top-priority goals?

2. Which of my skills and interests make my goals realistic for me?

3. What makes my goals believable and possible?

4. Are my goals measurable? How long will it take me to reach them? How will I know if I have achieved them?

5. Are my goals flexible? What will I do if I experience a setback?

6. Are my goals controllable? Can I achieve them on my own?

7. Are my goals in sync with my values?

As you move through your college career, make a point to ask these questions regularly.

As you formulate your goals consider the following pointers to help you stay focused:

• Write your goals out and post them where you can see them daily so they are at your forefront and not forgotten.

• Share your goals with others. Stating your goals publicly holds you accountable.

• Identify any obstacles you may encounter along the way and consider solutions. Think of people who may help you overcome the obstacles or help you brainstorm potential solutions.

• Set a deadline for which you plan to accomplish your goal and monitor your progress. Be realistic and patient with yourself.

• Visualize the goal. See a clear mental picture of yourself accomplishing your goal.

• Be persistent and don’t give up. Don’t be afraid to ask for help when needed.

Watch the following YouTube video for an overview of SMART goals – a memory aid in setting and evaluating goals to ensure that they are Specific, Measurable, Actionable, Relevant and Time bound. After watching the video, complete Activity 4.3.

In order to achieve long-term goals (from college on), you will need to first achieve a series of shorter goals. Medium-term goals (this year and while in college) and short-term goals (today, this week, and this month) may take several days, weeks, months, or even a few years to complete, depending on your ultimate long-term goals.

Take a moment and identify your short (today, this week, and this month) and medium-term goals (this year and while in college) that will help you achieve your long-term goal.

1. Identify 1 long-term academic or career goal.

2. Identify two related medium-term and two related short-term goals that will help you achieve your long-term goal.

1. Be SMART about it! Identify Specific, Measurable, Actionable, Relevant , activities to achieve your identified goals by a certain Timeframe.

Review the guidelines below, and fill in the blank sections to the best of your ability.

Guidelines

• Phrase goals as positive statements: Affirm your excitement and enthusiasm about attaining a goal by using positive language and expectations.

• Be exact: Set a precise goal that includes dates, times, and amounts, so that you have a basis for measuring your progress.

• Prioritize: Select your top goals, and put them in order of importance. This helps you understand the degree to which you value each of them. It will also help you better manage related tasks and not feel overwhelmed.

• Take the lead: Identify goals that are linked to your own performance, not dependent on the actions of other people or situations beyond your control.

• Be realistic but optimistic and ambitious: The goals you set should be achievable, but sometimes it pays to reach a little higher than what you may think is possible. Certainly don’t set your goals too low.

• Be hopeful, excited, and committed: Your enthusiasm and perseverance can open many doors!

Social Aspects of Achieving Your Goals

Setting goals can be a challenge, but working toward them, once you’ve set them, can be an even greater challenge—often because it implies that you will be making changes in your life. You might be creating new directions of thought or establishing new patterns of behavior, discarding old habits or starting new ones. Change will always be the essence of achieving your goals.

You may find that as you navigate this path of change, one of your best resources is your social network. Your family, friends, roommates, coworkers, and others can help you maintain a steady focus on your goals. They can encourage and cheer you on, offer guidance when needed, share knowledge and wisdom they’ve gained, and possibly partner with you in working toward shared goals and ambitions. Your social network is a gold mine of support.

Here are some easy ways you can tap into goal-supporting “people power”:

• Make new friends

• Study with friends

• Actively engage with the college community

• Volunteer to help others

• Join student organizations. Click here for a list of student clubs at COC: https://www.canyons.edu/studentservices/studentdevelopment/clubs/list.php

• Get an internship. Click here for information about the COC internships program: https://www.canyons.edu/studentservices/internships/index.php

• Work for a company related to your curriculum

• Stay connected via social media (but use it judiciously)*

• Keep a positive attitude

• Congratulate yourself on all you’ve done to get where you are

*A note about social media: More than 98 percent of college-age students use social media, says Experian Simmons. Twenty-seven percent of those students spent more than six hours a week on social media (UCLA, 2014). The University of Missouri, though, indicates in a 2015 study that this level of use may be problematic. It can lead to symptoms of envy, anxiety, and depression. Still, disconnecting from social media may have a negative impact, too, and further affect a student’s anxiety level.

Is there a healthy balance? If you feel overly attached to social media, you may find immediate and tangible benefit in cutting back. By tapering your use, you can devote more time to achieving your goals. You can also gain a sense of freedom and more excitement about working toward your goals.

Dealing with Setbacks and Obstacles

At times, unexpected events and challenges can get in the way of best-laid plans. For example, you might get sick or injured or need to deal with a family issue or a financial crisis. Earlier in this section, we considered a scenario in which a student realized she needed to change her major and her career plans. Such upsets, whether minor or major, may trigger a need to take some time off from school—perhaps a term or a year. Your priorities may shift. You may need to reevaluate your goals.

Problem-Solving Strategies

Below is a simple list of four problem-solving strategies. They can be applied to any aspect of your life.

1. What is the problem? Define it in detail. How is it affecting me and other people?

2. How are other people dealing with this problem? Are they adjusting their time management skills? Can they still complete responsibilities, and on time?

3. What is my range of possible solutions? Are solutions realistic? How might these solutions help me reach my goal/s?

4. What do I need to do to implement solutions?

You may wish to also review the earlier set of questions about focusing with intention on goals.

Be confident that you can return to your intended path in time. Acknowledge the ways in which you need to regroup. Read inspiring words from people who have faced adversity and gained. Line up your resources, be resolved, and proceed with certainty toward your goals.34

This page titled 4.3: Effective Steps for Goal Setting is shared under a CC BY 4.0 license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by Graciela Martinez and Elizabeth Shaker.

3. Goal Setting Models  

4.2: Goal-Setting Models

If you do an internet search for “goal-setting models,” you will find hundreds of thousands of results. Most models use acronyms or short, catchy phrases as titles. The model we’ll use in this textbook is “SMART.” You might remember seeing the SMART acronym used for decision-making in Chapter 1 of this text. If you were do an internet search for “SMART” goal-setting, you will see several interpretations of what each letter in the acronym stands for, but we’ll be using the following definitions in this text: 

SMART Goal-setting

S = Specific

M = Measurable

A = Achievable

R = Relevant

T = Timely

A powerful goal needs to contain all of the above criteria. Your goal can be written in one, perhaps long, statement, and when your statement is read, the reader can see all of the SMART criteria in your statement.

Let’s examine each element of the acronym.

Specific means you have a detailed description of what you want to achieve. You’ve used specific and descriptive nouns, not general adjectives, in your goal statement.

Measurable means you should be able to see a difference between before achieving a goal and after. Using numbers in your goal statement ensures your goal is measurable. Those numbers might be numerals, percentages or even words like “all” or “half.”

Achievable means you believe you have the skills or abilities (or you will have them) to be able to complete the tasks necessary for the goal. Goals should be challenging so that you maintain interest but also realistic in terms of the skills and abilities you already have or plan to learn.

Relevant means the goal has meaning in your life and relates to your life roles. Someone else cannot write a powerful goal for you; only you can believe that a dream or vision works in your life.

Timely means your goal has a deadline or date by which you want to achieve the goal. If you don’t have a deadline, you may be tempted to procrastinate or put off the work needed to move toward your goal.

“A goal properly set is halfway reached.” --- Zig Ziglar

If your goal statement contains all of the SMART criteria, your goal will be motivating, and you are more likely to move forward. Plus, as you move toward achieving your goal, you will be able to see where you stand. As you make progress, you will build upon a sense of accomplishment that will strengthen you and reinforce your efforts.

If you realize you are not making progress, you will be able to analyze the reasons if you’ve included all of the SMART criteria. Perhaps you were not as specific as you could have been, or you didn’t include any measurable numbers so you cannot see any progress. Perhaps you were too ambitious and planned a goal using skills and abilities you don’t have, or perhaps you created a goal that no longer fits with your life. Maybe you didn’t give yourself enough time to achieve the goal using your current skills and abilities.

This page titled 4.2: Goal-Setting Models is shared under a CC BY license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by Heather Burns, Connie Ogle, & Allyson Valentine.

4.3: Rewarding Yourself When You Achieve Your Goals

The best part of goal-setting is the reward for achieving your goals. Remember the words “intrinsic” and “extrinsic” from the Motivation chapter and from earlier in this chapter? If you plan both intrinsic and extrinsic rewards for a goal, your motivation will be higher because you’ve thought in advance about the positive outcomes of your hard work. Examples of intrinsic rewards are a sense of accomplishment, pride, satisfaction - all leading toward increased self-efficacy. Examples of extrinsic rewards are going on a trip, dinner at your favorite restaurant and buying something nice for yourself. Intrinsic rewards are more powerful because no one can take those emotions and thoughts away from you, but extrinsic rewards can be fun. Why not plan for both and enjoy your accomplishments! 

4.4: Criticisms About Goal-setting

Some YouTube video creators would have us believe that goal-setting is useless, and some criticism or backlash against goal-setting exists. Locus of control may be one reason people do not set goals. Locus of control was addressed in the Motivation chapter of this text, but as a refresher, if you have an internal locus of control, you believe you can control what happens in your life, and you have the power to respond to events and circumstances. If you have an external locus of control, you believe that fate determines your life, and your actions have little impact on what happens in your life.

You have seen discussions in this text about mindset and personal responsibility. If you have an internal locus of control, you probably have a creator or growth mindset, and if you have an external locus of control, you may have a victim or fixed mindset.

Perhaps some criticism about goal-setting comes from people with external loci of control. If someone believes there is no way to control one’s life, then goals cannot be achievable or relevant and therefore are not worth spending the energy.

Other criticisms may derive from the fact that people may not know how to set effective goals using a model such as SMART. If a goal is not measurable, for example, the end result appears to be shifting and hard to grasp. For example, if a student writes a goal to “earn good grades,” what does “good” mean? That non-measurable word creates difficulty because “good” can mean many different things which creates confusion. If a goal is not achievable, someone may become discouraged and give up after realizing the skills and abilities needed are too far out of reach at this particular time.

Here’s a link to an inspiring video from a powerful speaker, Mr. Les Brown. Mr. Brown grew from a humble childhood into an early career in radio broadcasting then marketing and advertising, served in the Ohio state legislature and finally became an internationally-known motivational speaker. Please listen to his words about how to dream and move those dreams to reality. YouTube Video - Mr. Les Brown [www.youtube.com]

4. Goal setting Theory  

11.2: Goal-Setting Theory

Learning Outcome

• Explain goal-setting theory.

In the 1960s, Edwin Locke proposed that intentions to work toward a goal are a major source of work motivation. This theory has been supported in more than one thousand studies with all types and levels of employees. To motivate, goals must have specificity, commitment, challenge, and feedback.

Goals need to be specific enough to answer the who, what, when, where, why, and how of any expectations of the goal. Employees perform better when given specific goals than they do when given vague or abstract goals. For instance, a manager tells a stockroom worker to aim to unpack ten boxes by lunchtime rather than telling the worker to do as much as he can. The specificity of the goal now acts as an internal stimulus, and the stockroom worker has a specific objective to attain. One common approach is SMART goals. SMART stands for specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, and time-bound.

The first step in creating motivation is creating commitment to a goal. Goal commitment is the degree of determination a person uses to achieve an accepted goal, and there are two main factors that determine it: importance and self-efficacy. The reasons a person has for attaining a goal, including expecting certain outcomes, comprise importance. A person’s belief that he or she can achieve a goal is self-efficacy. If you commit to a goal, your performance will always be higher.

A goal is meant to present a challenge to an individual, but it should still be attainable. The level of challenge should be specific to each person to increase their motivation. The more challenging a goal is, the more focused you become on the task and the easier it is to avoid unnecessary distractions. You will be energized to work harder toward the difficult goal. For example, imagine a high jumper training for the Olympics. With one month left before the trials, her personal best is one-quarter inch away from the qualifying height. With the goal in sight, she’s energized to train hard over the next month. People persist longer to attain difficult goals. Finally, and most importantly, difficult goals will allow us to develop strategies that help us perform more effectively.

Feedback on a goal is an ongoing requirement to be aware of progression or regression. An employee will require feedback on how well he or she is progressing toward his or her goals. Feedback can help an employee determine what she has done and what she wants to do. The easier it is for an individual to monitor his or her own progress, the quicker the individual will be able to make adjustments, if needed, or continue without hesitating for feedback.

Practice Question

https://assessments.lumenlearning.co...essments/12280

Contributors and Attributions

CC licensed content, Original

• Goal-Setting Theory. Authored by: David J. Thompson and Lumen Learning. License: CC BY: Attribution

CC licensed content, Shared previously

• Image: No title. Authored by: domeckopol. Located at: https://pixabay.com/en/sport-athletics-high-jump-659547/. License: CC0: No Rights Reserved

This page titled 11.2: Goal-Setting Theory is shared under a CC BY 4.0 license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by Lumen Learning via source content that was edited to the style and standards of the LibreTexts platform; a detailed edit history is available upon request.

11.3: Introduction to Reinforcement Theory

What you’ll learn to do: explain reinforcement theory

In this section, you will learn about reinforcement theory, the counterpoint to goal-setting theory. Reinforcement theory is a behavioristic approach that says reinforcement conditions behavior.

Contributors and Attributions

CC licensed content, Original

• Introduction to Reinforcement Theory. Authored by: David J. Thompson and Lumen Learning.. License: CC BY: Attribution

11.4: Reinforcement Theory

Learning Outcome

• Explain reinforcement theory

In contrast to some other motivational theories, reinforcement theory ignores the inner state of the individual. Instead it focuses on what happens to an individual when he or she performs some task or action. Reinforcement theorists see behavior as being environmentally controlled. Rather than internal thoughts or desires, the theory is that behaviors are controlled by reinforcers—any consequence that, when immediately following a response, increases the probability that the behavior will be repeated. For example, you decided to work over the weekend to finish a project early for your boss. When your boss finds out about your extra effort, she thanks you and buys you lunch. Assuming your boss’s reactions were favorable to you, you will be more likely to do similar deeds in the future. If your boss said or did nothing to acknowledge your extra work, you would be less likely to demonstrate similar behavior in the future.

Regardless of the simplicity of reinforcement theory, there are lessons to be learned from proper and improper reward or recognition for behavior. Think of how you would react if you consistently went above and beyond at work and received no reinforcement. Is it possible that you might start believing that you were wasting your time? Or what if a teammate is consistently disruptive and disrespectful, even to the boss, yet is never reprimanded? Might that teammate continue, even increase, his or her disruptive behavior?

Practice Question

https://assessments.lumenlearning.co...essments/12281

Reinforcement theory can be useful if you think of it in combination with other theories, such as goal-setting. If you worked on a team at Microsoft in the 1990s, you were given difficult tasks to create and ship software on a very strict deadline. Because you knew the requirements of working there, and you loved the opportunity to challenge yourself, you were energized to perform. Because Microsoft valued shipping software on time, you were “fabulously rewarded,” which could mean hundreds or even thousands of stock options, if you completed your work.

Although reinforcement theory seems straightforward, a manager who uses reinforcement risks offending his employees. Employees might feel the manager is treating them like children or dogs and not giving them the respect due an adult. This video clip from the Big Bang Theory television show illustrates reinforcement. Notice that Leonard forbids Sheldon from using reinforcement on Penny and himself.

A link to an interactive elements can be found at the bottom of this page.

You can view the transcript for “Positive Reinforcement – The Big Bang Theory” here (opens in new window).

Contributors and Attributions

CC licensed content, Original

• Reinforcement Theory. Authored by: David J. Thompson and Lumen Learning. License: CC BY: Attribution

This page titled 11.4: Reinforcement Theory is shared under a CC BY 4.0 license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by Lumen Learning via source content that was edited to the style and standards of the LibreTexts platform; a detailed edit history is available upon request.

link to current oer resource here!

13. Goal Setting 

1. Goal Setting 

2. Effective Steps for Goal Setting  

3. Goal Setting Models  

4. Goal setting Theory