Goal Setting

After the fun filled sessions in the first two classes, the expectation on this class was quite high and to be frank it really lived upto our expectations. We came to the most important thing needed in management - Setting Goals. 

What are goals actually?
A goal is a desired result a person or a system envisions, plans and commits to achieve a personal or organizational desired end-point in some sort of assumed development. To achieve the goals the first thing to be done is to set them. How do you set goals? 

For that we have the SMART approach. Many of us already might be having some idea about what it is. The same question was asked in class and many people came up with different answers which in themselves were quite interesting !!! Ok let us now see what the SMART approach is,

S-SPECIFIC:
What,Where,How?
A specific goal is distinct and defines as much of the goal as possible and contains no ambiguos  language. To make goals specific, they must tell a team exactly what is expected, why is it important, who’s involved, where is it going to happen and which attributes are important.

M-MEASURABLE:
From and To?
A measurement gives feedback and let's one know when the goal is complete. When you measure your progress, you stay on track, reach your target dates, and experience the exhilaration of achievement that spurs you on to continued effort required to reach your goal

A-ATTAINABLE:
Who?
When you sepecify goals that are most important to you,you come up with ways to make them come true. You develop the attitudes, abilities, skills, and financial capacity to reach them. The theory states that an attainable goal may cause goal-setters to identify previously overlooked opportunities to bring themselves closer to the achievement of their goals.

R-REALISTIC:
Feasible?
Realistic goals are challenging yet attainable within the given time frame. Relevant goals (when met) drive a team, department, and organization forward. A goal that supports or is in alignment with other goals would be considered a relevant goal.

T-TIME BASED:
When?
Time frame must be aggressive yet realistic.This part of the SMART goal criteria is intended to prevent goals from being overtaken by the day-to-day crises that invariably arise in an organization. A time-bound goal is intended to establish a sense of urgency.

The Pygmalion effect, or Rosenthal effect, is the phenomenon in which the greater the expectation placed upon people, the better they perform.The effect is named after Pygmalion,a play by George Bernard Shaw

The corollary of the Pygmalion effect is the golem effect, in which low expectations lead to a decrease in performance. The Pygmalion effect and the golem effect are forms of self-fulfilling prophecy, and, in this respect, people will internalize their positive labels, and those with positive labels succeed accordingly. Within sociology, the effect is often cited with regard to education and social class.

For everyone to succeed in their respective fields achieveing goals is a must and to achieve them, goals should be set properly. Therefore for setting goals a lot of effort has to be put in and once it is done, the person or the organisation is bound to reach greater heights !!!