BLT (23/1/20): Goals – the theory behind them and the strategies to make them happen

Q. What are your success strategies for achieving your goals?

This week’s BLT discussion topic was all about goals, However, as always, when writing up the discussion, I became side-tracked and delved a bit deeper into the theory behind the topic (i.e. Locke and Latham’s work – fascinating!) so what follows isn’t a verbatim account…more of a roundabout discussion!

“The most difficult thing is the decision to act; the rest is mere tenacity.”

Amelia Earhart

Theoretical Background

The importance of setting ourselves SMART objectives (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Time-bound) is well-known and beloved of coaches, management consultants and business gurus. So, let’s not get too technical and consider what other factors might we want to consider in order to achieve our goals?

Locke & Latham’s Goal Theory

“The more difficult and specific a goal is, the harder people work to achieve it.”

Dr Edwin Locke’s research from the late 1960s forms the basis for,  our modern understanding of goal setting. He found that 90% of the time, specific and challenging (but not too challenging) goals led to higher performance than easy or ‘do your best’ goals.

In 1990, Locke published A Theory of Goal Setting and Task Performance (along with Dr Gary Latham) which outlined five other characteristics for successful goal setting:

1. Clarity – use SMART and apply this to ‘Why’ you are setting your goals.
2. Challenge – develop self-discipline to ensure you have the persistence to work through problems.
3. Commitment – use visualisation techniques (how life might look once you have achieved your goal)
4. Feedback – external feedback is best (coaches rejoice!) but if you’re relying upon internal feedback, write down and review what has/hasn’t worked and make the appropriate adjustments.
5. Task complexity – break goals into sub-goals, setting deadlines which apply the appropriate amount of pressure whilst still being achievable.

BLT member thoughts on goal-setting

Deadline (definition): this is believed to have originated during the American Civil War when makeshift prisons were erected with simple barriers which would have been easy to scale. However, the prisoners were instructed that anybody approaching the barriers would be shot – hence the term ‘deadline’, a line which could not be crossed.

Source: Quora

Fortunately, modern-day deadlines are rather more forgiving (although it does make you think how much more could be achieved using these methods of ‘persuasion’!) – this is what BLT members thought:

• Confront your own limiting beliefs: make your own goals big enough. It’s often better to look at what is achievable by others; e.g. in a sales position, one BLT member looked at what the top performers were achieving and tried to match them, paying close attention to their techniques and processes. This effectively reprograms your own mind and redefines what is possible.
• Define Success – it could be simply starting something, not necessarily achieving or completing a goal, whether it be the first day of a diet, exercise programme, writing a book, or whatever.
• It’s OK to fail – as above [Define Success], if you don’t allow yourself to start something for fear of failure, you’ve got no chance whatsoever of succeeding.
• Know yourself – are you a lark (up early) or a night owl (work best late)? Find out when your energy and creative levels at their strongest and plan your tasks accordingly.

Practical tools for achieving goals

 “A journey of 1,000 miles begins with a single step.”

Lao Tzu

Theory is all very well, but sometimes you need some little tricks or prompts to make things happen. The following are goal-setting / achieving techniques that have worked for BLT members:

1. Have 3 in-trays: In / Pending / Disaster – you can then ‘bubble’ items up and down the list and hence physically into the different trays
2. Set yourself different targets: Realistic / Stretch / Aspirational. However, be careful of having too many targets, otherwise you risk losing focus.
3. Act as soon as possible – if you wait until you’re 100% ready or certain of something, other things will get in the way and you’ll never get started.

Conclusion

“Believe you can and you’re halfway there.”

-Theodore Roosevelt

There is no one ‘fit-all’ rule when it comes to achieving your goals – it very much depends upon the motivation and discipline of the individual.

However, as illustrated by Locke and Latham, by knowing yourself you can understand how to set goals which are applicable to you…and which you might have a hope of achieving!