Goal Setting

Goal SettingUnderstanding & Applying the Principles of Goal SettingJodie Lightfootjodie@lightfooted.caApril 14, 2010

Presentation OutlineWhy set goals?

Goal Functions

Goal Mechanisms

Goal Moderators

Application to Athletes

Application to UsSetting Effective Goals

Why set goals? Goal-setting affects performance

ALL effective coaches, athletes & students set goals

90% of the studies from 1969 1980 indicated that specific and challenging goals lead to higher performance than easy goals, Do your best goals or no goals at all (Locke et al., 1981)

Review of the 1969 1980 goal setting literature revealed that: 3

Goals Values NeedsGoals help achieve values which helps to satisfy basic needs

Needs: All individuals have the same basic need, but how they value them are quite different

Values: Values not inborn but chosen many different ways to satisfy needs i.e. Different types of food, many possible sources of pleasure in life

While values are difficult to change externally, goals are readily changeable

Motivation: to appeal means providing opportunities to satisfy needs or achieve value at work

Goals: people set goals in order to attain values, and pursue values in order to fulfill needs based on individual motivation

All individuals have the same basic need, but how they value them are quite differentValues not inborn but chosen many different ways to satisfy needs i.e. Different types of food, many possible sources of pleasure in life, While values are difficult to change externally, goals are readily changeable Motivation: to appeal means providing opportunities to satisfy needs or achieve value at work Goals are like values but more specific

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The 4 Goal MechanismsGoals affect performance by:

Directs Direct attention & effort toward goal-relevant actives and away from unrelated activities

EnergizesChallenging goals lead to greater effort than easy goals

PersistenceWhen ppl are allowed to control the time they spend on tasks, hard goals prolong effort

Action (indirectly)Leading to the arousal, discovery and/or use of task-relevant knowledge, skills and abilities (KSA)

Directs: cognitively + behaviourally: Locke + Bryan in 69 observed that people who received feedback on several aspects of their performance in a driving task improved their performance in the aspects for which they had goals, but not on other aspects Rothkoff + Billington in 79 found that students with a specific learning goal paid attention and learned relevant passages in their text and disregarded irrelevant info. Energises: Bandura & Cervone 83 showed that those with greater goals gave a greater effort on the ergometerPersistence: tight deadlines lead to a more rapid work pace

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Goal-Setting Affects PerformanceGoal setting is most likely to improve task performance when:The goals are specific and sufficiently challengingYou have sufficient ability to complete the goalFeedback is provided to show progress in relation to the goal Rewards such as praise, money and greater responsibility are given for goal attainmentGoals are pursued in a supportive environmentAssigned goals are accepted by the individual

Olympic Athlete GoalsThe 3 Most Important Goals:

Have FunWinningImproving overall performance

Setting SMART GoalsSMART Goals:

S SpecificM MeasurableA AttainableR Relevant/RealisticT Timely/Time-bound

A useful way of making goals more powerful is to use the SMART mnemonic. While there are plenty of variants, SMART usually stands for:8

Goal-Setting TechniquesExpert Advice

State each goal in the positiveBe preciseSet prioritiesWrite down the goalsKeep operational goals smallSet performance goals, not outcome goalsSet realistic goalsJodies Advice

Set By-WhensBy ______ I am/have/ ________Keep a goal-setting journalUse goal-setting softwareFor every goal, set 2 actions, one that must be completed in the next 24-hrs

Asking the Right QuestionsStarting the ball rolling on goal-setting:

What are the 5 most important elements (values) in my life RIGHT NOW?

What are the 3 most important goals in my life right now?

What I would do if I won a million dollars in the lottery tomorrow?

What would I do if I only had six months left to live:

What I have always wanted to do but have been afraid to attempt?