Goals at Work

Would you be interested in the inside scoop on goals at work? Would you like to know what we knew
about goals 40 years ago, versus what we know now? Would it surprise you to know that all that stuff
about SMART goals is only partially correct? In fact the whole premise for goals is based on shaky
ground. So what if I set the record straight based upon actual data? If you keep reading, I promise to
make this white paper to the point and very applicable to using goals at work this year. Lets check off
whats been discovered about goals and well finish with a quick cheat sheet to use going forward.

40 Years Ago: This is a summary of what we knew from research on goals at work as of 1975(1)
1. Goals work. Production is significantly higher when work is structured around goals.
2. Goals require buy-in and follow-up. Performance only improves for employees when they
accept the goals, and when they are supported and encouraged by their superiors.
3. Goals are self-fulfilling for high-achievers. Goals work best for people who have a previous track
record of success, people that are already high achievers, and are self- confidant. Belief about
ability to accomplish a goal is self-fulfilling. If you dont think of yourself as successful, you
wont be.

What we know as of 2015: Ive broken this down into 5 key themes, so its easy to remember.
The Efficacy of Smart (specific, measurable, actionable, realistic, time bound) Goals (2)
1. Although the acronym of SMART has a lot of common sense to it, there appears to be
insufficient data to confirm that SMART characteristics are tied to improved performance.
The whole process of setting goals based upon SMART definitions is a well-intentioned
methodology, but the SMART characteristics do not appear to be the critical characteristics
correlated with goal achievement or improved performance at work.
2. What does have research behind it is the concept that goals have to have emotions behind
them or they dont drive behavior. There are three emotions in particular that need to be
aroused at work to support goals having an impact. Goals with the following emotions attached
directly impact work behavior:
a. The first emotion is the anticipation of feeling very good, not just positive, but inspired
to accomplish something really meaningful.
b. The second emotion is one of being challenged by the stretch of the goal and
aspiration.
c. The third emotion is a link to helping. We have to feel like it is really going to help, and
even this drives goal behavior even stronger if it feels like we need to help in a way
thats absolutely necessary.

The Relative Value of Pleasure versus Pain as a Goal Motivator (3)

1. We humans are risk averse. We are motivated almost twice as strong to avoid pain or
discomfort, as we are motivated by the opportunity to obtain something positive. Given that
relative strength difference:
a. The feelings of inspiration, challenge and helping will be most effective drivers when
they help the individual or others ultimately avoid or remove some negative
contingency. Use negatives, make the negatives explicit, and dont avoid them in your
goal setting process.
b. Secondly, be careful not to be in a hurry to remove or reduce the threat of the negative
contingency before the needed changes are in place or the goal is achieved, as it will
likely derail some aspect of the motivation driving the (change) goal process.

The Role of Fun - What we have learned from athletes (4)

1. From the environment of sports we have confirmed 4 different factors that all improve, impact
the ability to reach our goals.
a. We all need a game plan, whats next, what works, whats critical.
b. We all need a scoreboard, some way to tell if we are getting ahead or falling behind.
c. We all need a game clock, some way to tell how much time we have left to work with.
d. In confirmation of the Hawthorne effect from the 1930s, we know that having someone
observe, including coach, helps improve the chance of reaching goals.
2. Even though avoidance of present or future pain or discomfort is such a strong motivator, weve
also learned that positive emotions (#1 above) effectively drive goal behavior, specifically
making the goal process fun and achievement recognized. And, we all are motivated to
accomplish goals if the process can be fun and provide the opportunity for recognition.
The Inverse Effect of Talking About Your Goals (5)
1. Were all familiar with the value of social support for goal setting and accomplishment.
However there is also a negative effect about talking about your goals, especially as goals are
framed by solving a painful situation. Social psychologists, Kurt Lewin, Vera Mahler & Peter
Gollwitzer have all noted that talking about goals, especially when acknowledged by someone
else, creates a comforting sense that feels like the goal has already begun to be
accomplished, and serves as a substitution for the actual work needed to accomplish the goal.
To the extent the comfort of being listened to reduces some of the pain that is motivating you
to accomplish that goal, and gives a false sense of making progress, it is inversely related to

achieving goals. In at least one study, it served to make the talkers less likely to follow
through on the steps needed to reach a goal.

Unachieved Goals and the Role of Time and Obstacles (6)

1. Our own research indicates that two factors account for a large proportion of failure to achieve
goals.
a. Achieving goals requires more than intent. Actually, as youve noticed above, it
requires a number of things, but it especially requires the resource of time. Not
continuing to set aside time, blocking it out on ones calendar, prioritizing it in the
presence of all the other demands on ones time and calendar is one of the most
common goal failure characteristics.
b. The other most common contributor to goal achievement failure is not successfully
resolving, adapting, and working around obstacles that emerge. Rarely is the path to
any goal a straight trajectory of goal setting, new behavior practice, and goal
achievement. People that successfully achieve goals kick into active problem solving
when facing unforeseen obstacles. People who struggle to achieve goals tend to give up
the pursuit once they run into such obstacles.

Strategic Goals (7)

I decided to throw in a quick section on strategic goals as a bonus, as they seem to represent their own
separate universe. Here are 2 directives we have verified will help you when included in the strategic
goal process:
1. Avoid the miss-steps in the strategy goal creation process:
a. Most strategic plans are a list of prioritized activities, not a well-articulated plan defining
exactly how to get to the target of growth or mission fulfillment.
b. Fundamentally strategy is a bet against the future, resting on a set of potentially wobbly
assumptions. Dont bother to create strategy goals unless you plan to support with active
effort and resources.
c. If you cant come up with a compelling measurement for a strategic goal, then you need to
rethink the value of that goal in achieving your overall strategy.
2. Verify that your strategic goal is backed by the answers to 3 questions:
a. Why does this particular strategic goal or objective create the most direct return/value (of
the various choices available to us)?

b. How are we being explicit about the assumptions behind a strategic goal and
testing/verifying that our assumptions are correct?
c. What are we going to do next, based upon the test results? Build it in actionable terms.

Using Goals at Work Checklist:

Using Goals at Work Checklist

1. Do use goals at work, realize high achievers will make the best use of goals, and remember that
goal realization occurs most commonly when regularly reviewed/encouraged by management.
2. Choose goals that are inspiring, challenging, and help participants feel they are making an
impact/helping. If theres no emotional tie-in, SMART characteristics only mildly help.
3. In creating goals, be explicit about the negatives to be avoided by goal achievement.
4. Support goal achievement with the following: have a game plan, scoreboard (measure
results/progress), time remaining, coach and the experience of having fun and recognition.
5. Gather written updates on actions taken; verbal process discussions dont substitute for action.
6. Set aside regular time blocks (goals need regular, persistent effort), and treat obstacles as
simple a challenge to overcome, not a sign to stop.
7. Strategic goals need compelling proof of directly creating the most value, explicit assumptions
and market testing, clear action plans that are regularly reviewed and results measured.

References
1. Latham, & Yukls A Review of Research on the Application of Goal Setting in Organizations. You can
find it in the Academy of Management Journal 18.4 (1975): 824845;
http://www.managepro.com/what-the-research-says-about-you-goals/
2. http://www.managepro.com/most-of-what-youve-read-about-smart-goals-is-wrong/
3. http://www.managepro.com/what-makes-us-follow-through/
4. http://www.managepro.com/the-secret-to-raising-your-game/
5. http://www.managepro.com/the-hazards-of-talking-about-your-goals/
6. http://www.managepro.com/smart-goals-hard-goals-and-lost-goals/
7. http://www.managepro.com/category/strategicplanning/