Neha Masurkar
Many people begin their careers with high hopes of making an impression on their bosses by developing the business or by implementing new and better ways of doing things. Unfortunately, most of them find that they are so busy handling day-to-day issues that there never seems to be time for anything else.
Furthermore, comparatively few people have tangible goals, yet implementing them becomes challenging due to a lack of organized materials and not completing their timeline on time.
For a goal to be achievable, it must have clear and well-specified; it must identify precisely what needs to be done and in what timeframe. It must also define a clear outcome that is measurable and can be assessed. If you set unambiguous and measurable goals, then most people will rise to the challenge or at least strive to achieve them to the best of their ability. On the other hand, nothing destroys morale faster than not knowing what you’re expected to achieve or how your efforts will be measured.
More specific goals are more challenging and harder to achieve; this goal often has a direct and positive impact on performance. This relies on the notion that the harder the goal, the more a person will strive to work towards it. However, such influences on performance are mediated by two conditions:
Firstly, the goal must be accepted and acknowledged; and secondly, feedback must be used to develop areas of weakness. Giving feedback on the strategies used to obtain goals is very important, especially for complex work, as challenging goals emphasize the final outcome rather than on performance strategies.
There are three goal-setting methods:
● 4C F—Clarity, Challenge, Complexity, Commitment & Feedback.
● SMART—Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic & Timely.
● Backward Goal Setting—work back from the end goal.
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Today we will be taking one such important goal setting method that is 1—4c f. This involves:
Clarity -> Challenge -> Complexity -> commitment -> Feedback
Clarity
Your goal should state clearly and concisely exactly what you want to achieve. There should be no room for ambiguity. It also needs to specify a finite period in which you can accomplish this goal. By clearly stating your goal, you are motivated to fulfil it and can easily identify the reward you gain with its completion. There is no disillusion or disappointment.
Challenge
Now that you have your clear goal, your goal must also be challenging. The greater the reward we will gain on attaining our goal, the more motivated we are. This motivation becomes larger the more the goal is perceived as challenging, allowing a greater sense of accomplishment once you have fulfilled the goal. Whilst the goal needs to be ‘challenging’ it must also be a goal that you have sufficient confidence to achieve. If the challenge is seen as too great, then there will be a negative effect on your willingness to work towards the goal, and in some cases, you may not even try! Any reward offered needs to be appropriate for the task and exceed your normal expectations.
Complexity
A goal can comprise any number of interconnected parts as long as they form a coherent whole, which can be sensibly viewed as a single unit in its broadest terms.
The problem comes when a goal is too complex, and team member becomes confused about how best to achieve the goal. These feelings then result in poor motivation and often resistance and can even obstruct attaining the goal. The greater the degree of stress that results from these feelings, the less likely it is that the individual will fulfil their goal.
This increased complexity can often result from unforeseen circumstances that come to light whilst working to achieve the goal. To avoid these problems, communication between the person who sets the original goal and the one who needs to attain the goal is essential. This is especially true in the case of team achievement.
Commitment
Before anyone commits themselves to a goal, they will probably want to see evidence of sufficient resources available. Without these resources, they will not achieve the desired goal, which is an essential element in gaining commitment. The most productive way to commit to a goal is to actively involve themselves in the goal-setting process.
Feedback
Once you have set a goal and set steps to achieve the goal, you must monitor progress and provide regular feedback to yourself. This is particularly important in the first few days because you often feel uncomfortable going ahead and question your progress. Also, asking for guidance becomes very challenging.