To increase performance and motivation, future goal setting can be used; This must meet a number of conditions, something that goal setting theory provides more clarity about. This theory can not only be used in the workplace, but also appears to provide good results in the private sphere.
Goal setting and performance
Setting goals to increase performance is nothing new; Early in human history, goals were set to enforce certain achievements. Yet goal setting theory offers a better view of increasing individuals’ performance than goal setting in general; This makes it clear within this theory which conditions a goal must meet to actually have a positive impact on performance; Setting the wrong goals can result in lower performance.
Setting goals
Before the theory is explained, it is important to know why goal setting can have an impact on performance. After all, it does not increase the knowledge and skills of the person himself, so it seems as if the performance should remain the same. Yet it appears that goals have an impact on performance; something that appears to be the result of the impact that goals have on the motivation of people. Well-set goals increase motivation and thus ensure that goals are actually achieved. Well-formulated goals also ensure that a person knows exactly what is expected of him, so that he/she can work towards this much better.
There are various options for setting good goals, but one of the most commonly used is adhering to the SMART principle. According to this principle , goals should be Specific, Measurable, Acceptable, Realistic and Time-bound.
Specifically
A goal must be specifically formulated; general goals have less results than specifically formulated goals. A good solution for this is the so-called 5WH model; Who, What, Where, When, Why and How.
Measurable
In addition to being specific, it is important that a goal is measurable. If a goal is not measurable, it is difficult to determine afterwards whether a specific goal has been achieved and it is difficult to determine in advance what exactly needs to be achieved. The measurability of a goal also ensures that the progress towards achieving the goal can be measured; if this is not the case, it can cause problems. After all, it cannot be determined whether the goal will be achieved on time.
Acceptable
A goal must also be acceptable to the group it concerns; unacceptable goals are, for example, goals that are so contrary to the applicable norms/values or culture that they encounter too much resistance. Other examples are also conceivable in which a goal is not acceptable; regulations, for example, can also play a role in this
Realistic
In addition to being acceptable, a goal must of course also be realistic. Unrealistic goals, for example set too high, only cause demotivation among employees. After all, people already know in advance that the goal cannot be achieved, so they see no reason to work on the goals; Ultimately, performance will only suffer.
Time-bound
It has already come up once at Meetbaar; but a goal must also be tied to a specific time. Without a time requirement for a specific goal, it also becomes difficult to measure whether a goal has been achieved and achieving the goal can always be postponed; there is then no reason to also strive to achieve the goal
Personal goals
In addition to the SMART principle, which can be used within goal setting theory, there are a few other ways. A person can also set goals for themselves; Research shows that people who set goals for themselves perform better on these components than people who do not. The effect is even higher if one works with goals that meet the SMART criterion to a greater or lesser extent.
Goals in the working environment
In the working environment, goal setting theory can be used to challenge employees; it is customary to also formulate this in accordance with SMART. Goals that are too easy should be avoided; these do not challenge, but lead to a perceived undervaluation of the employee. Equally important is avoiding setting goals that are too high; some challenge is necessary, but not to the extent that it is considered completely unattainable.