This article shows how important the relationship is between goals and performance. Research supports predictions that the most effective performance seems to result when goals are specific and challenging, when they are used to evaluate performance and linked to feedback on results, and create commitment and acceptance. Deadlines improve the effectiveness of goals. Nearly every modern organization has some form of goal setting in operation. Also, goal setting is the underlying explanation for all major theories of motivation. Based on hundreds of studies, the major finding of goal setting is that individuals who are provided with specific, difficult but attainable goals perform better than those given easy, nonspecific, or no goals at all but the goals but must be capable for the individual who is performing it. Goals motivate people to develop strategies that will enable them to perform at the required goal levels and accomplishing these goals is which leads to further motivation. For example, if someone writes down a list of things to do and likes to cross them off, then their satisfaction crossing off that accomplishment making them want to keep doing it. Many people have different ways of accomplishing their goals but this is only one example. At the same time, when that person is not complete before the deadline and not able to cross off the accomplishment, it can set off a frustration of motivation leading him to perform better.
The article had no major hypothesis but it also talks about how goals need to be specific, difficult but attainable, acceptable, given feedback on, and know that they are being evaluated. Specific goals let people know what to reach for and allow them to see their own progress. People perform at higher levels when asked to meet a specific high-performance goal. Asking people to improve, to work harder, or to do your best is not helpful, because that kind of goal doesn’t give them a focused target. Research shows that specific goals bring more desire into people. Also, a goal that is too easy will not bring the best performance. Although people will work hard to reach tough goals, they will only do so when the goals are within their reach. Like I’ve spoke about in my previous blogs, a major factor in reaching a goal is self-efficacy, which the internal belief regarding one’s task related competencies. Goals must be accepted. Assigning goals to people who are not willing to be committed to them is not going to be successful in the end. A powerful method of obtaining acceptance is to allow people to participate in the goal-setting process. Participation helps individuals better understand the goals, ensure that the goals are not unreasonable, and helps them achieve it. Feedback should also be provided to goals. Feedback helps in two important ways. First, it helps people determine how well they are doing. For example, sports teams need to know the score of the game; a sharpshooter needs to see the target, and a golfer needs to know his score. Feedback also helps people determine the adjustments to their performance that are required to do better. For example again, sports teams watch video reproductions of a game and adjust their play and a golfer can adjust how they swing the club. Lastly, goals are more effective when they know someone knows they are being evaluated. When people know that their performance is being evaluated of how well they achieve their goals, the way that they will go after the goal will be more efficient. For example, quarterbacks are judged on the completion percentages of passes thrown and the number of yards the offense generates per game and coaches are assessed on their win-loss record.
The conclusion of the article is that it provides a well-developed goal-setting theory of motivation. Research supports predictions that the most effective performance seems to result when goals are specific and challenging, when they are used to evaluate performance and linked to feedback on results, and create commitment and acceptance.
The information in this article links to my topic pretty directly. People are generally lazy and this article shows another way of how to impact people’s lives in a positive by focusing on how to motivate people through a thorough process of goal setting. I’m even starting to do it myself in my own life. I have a sheet that i write all the things(goals) that I need to accomplish and when I accomplish them by a certain time it makes me feel better and more motivated to keep crossing out my list. There was not much I didn’t understand about the article because everything was pretty straight forward.
Works Cited:
Joey's Workshop 