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On "Goals"
By Adel J Helou
One of the most important steps on the way towards progress and development is the ability to choose and set a goal for oneself, for a team or for an enterprise. According to Webster’s New Collegiate Dictionary (1) the word “Goal” is defined as an “aim”; “the end towards which effort is directed”. It can also be described as the final objective (7) of an activity. In both social and professional aspects of every-day life, goals are positions or situations people, or enterprises aspire to attain, reach and/or achieve in the future. These goals – once reached – are expected to give individuals and enterprises positions of advantage; socially or on the market.
Most, if not all, successful people tend to be “Goal-Setters” … they set goals for themselves and put in the effort to reach them. By setting goals (2) these people formulate their vision of/for the future. It also motivates them on the short term. Defining a goal leads to concentrating and focusing all efforts in one direction towards the goal. Goals ensure that time and other resources are well organized to reach the objective(s) through the most economic manner. Moreover, goal-setters gain self-confidence and take pride in their work; especially when they realize their goal(s).
In the beginning a person will identify then evaluate a specific desire/wish or a specific need. The individual will weigh the benefits and the drawbacks of such a wish or need to decide whether to pursue this train of thought and commit to it. Following this commitment, he/she will consider setting this as a goal to achieve and see it to fruition.
Once a goal is set an analysis starts to identify the various steps to be taken to facilitate reaching it. Part of this analysis is to determine the required information, tools and skills needed to execute the plan to reach the goal. Another part of the analysis deals with planning steps and stages to complete at specific times and dates by developing “To-Do” lists and prioritizing them. Items on such a list would be marked off as they are completed.
There are two categories of goals. The first category of goals can be described through the following types; Personal Goals, Professional Goals and Mixed Goals. The third type of goals is useful in both the personal and professional levels.
Looking at examples of each of these types of goals:
Personal Goals:
» Improving daily activities organization
» Developing a hobby
» Developing athletic abilities
» Getting ready for retirement
Professional Goals:
» Seeking promotions to higher levels
» Improving interpersonal relations with employees
» Making better business decisions
Mixed Goals:
» Public speaking
» Learning languages
» Managing time
» Improving communication with people
» Learning to use computers and their applications
The second category of goals usually has two types:
Main goals:
The final and long-term objective(s) or aim(s) of an effort(s).
Intermediate goals:
The shorter term aims/objectives to be realized along the way to reach the main goals.
There are three methods that can be used to choose a goal. They could be complementary and supportive to one another. The first is called the “SMART” (2) method. It encourages individuals to choose goals that are Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and Time bound. The second is the “FAST” (3) method. In this method, goals should be Frequently discussed, Ambitious, Specific and Transparent. The third method has its name as “CLEAR” (4). This method for deciding on goals says that they should be Collaborative, Limited, Emotional, Appreciable and Refinable. These three methods emphasize the importance of being clear on identifying a need. They recommend being specific when choosing a goal which, in turn, should be limited in scope and duration. These methods recommend that goals should be ambitious, emotional, aiming high, nonetheless realistic and achievable. Goals are to be measurable; therefore - especially in business - they should be discussed frequently and divided into smaller objectives which are to be refined as needed. The fact that goals are frequently discussed, especially at work, ensures collaboration and transparency among the members of a team or an enterprise.
Adel J Helou
Business and life management coach with more than 15 years experience in production and operations management.
The Author has international professional experience in the Middle East markets. He holds a B.Sc. degree in Chemistry and Physics and an M.Sc. in Chemical Engineering.
