Goal setting is used throughout the world as an instrument to motivate employees and raise productivity. The drawback of goal setting lies in the fact that improper use of the instrument leads to dysfunctional behavior with a negative impact on productivity. There are several factors impacting goal setting that should be taken into account to make optimal use of the goal-setting instrument and avoid negative impacts. These factors deal with both direct and indirect effects on the goals that have been set and the behavior of employees.
Reasons for Setting the Goal
Taking into account the reasons for setting the goal is an important factor in goal setting. Goal setting is a tool to focus employees within their workload. Many employees find it hard to work in an environment in which they have no clear direction or focus. Employees who experience such a lack of focus will feel lost and adrift. Setting goals will make clear to the employees what their supervisors expect and what output they will need to achieve to meet the goal. Goal setting structures the workload and gives the employees a sense of stability and achievement.
Factors with a Direct Impact
For any goal setting instrument to work, there are five direct factors that should be taken into account.
Goals should be specific. There should be no question about the goal that has been set and its outcome. Whenever there is room for multiple interpretations, the employee will feel unfocused, leading the employee to portray dysfunctional behavior.
Goals should be measurable. There should be no question about the form and method by which the achievement of the goal will be measured. For goal setting to work, it needs to be possible to objectively measure the outcome. If the employee feels that his supervisor is unable to objectively measure whether the outcome is achieved, the employee will be unmotivated to try and reach his goals.
Goals should be acceptable. While setting a goal, both employee and supervisor should accept the goal being set. If both parties differ in opinion, there will be no complete commitment to the goal, resulting in an unmotivated employee.
Goals should be realistic. The goal that has been set should be attainable. If it is clear from the start that the goal can never be reached, it is pointless to pursue it. Employees facing unrealistic goals will be highly unmotivated to strive for them since they will see the goals as unreachable.
Goals should be restricted by time. It is essential that there is a time limit in which the goal should be reached. If no time limit is being set, the employee will not be motivated to pursue the goal, since there will always be tomorrow. This leads to dysfunctional behavior and unmotivated employees.
Factors with an Indirect Impact
Several factors indirectly impact goal setting.
Goals should be widely known. It is important that employees know what goals have been set for both themselves and their colleagues. On the one hand, this openness gives room for positive competition among employees and will stimulate performance. On the other, this makes sure that employees cannot unknowingly sabotage the goals of their colleagues which will prevent a lot of frustration and envy.
Goals should be rewarded. When employees reach the goals that have been set they should be properly rewarded. The kind of rewards are many, ranging from monetary incentives to career promotions, but most important is the actual payout of the reward. If there is no proper reward, the employee will not be motivated to reach his goals, since there is no personal benefit.
References
- "The Journal of Psychology"; Managing time: The Effects of Personal Goal Setting on Resource Allocation Strategy and Task Performance; O. Strickland; M. Galimba; June 2001
- "Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes"; Goal Orientation in Organizational Research; S. Button, J. Mathieu; April 1996
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