Wednesday, November 21, 2007

Goal Setting

Goal Setting
 
Setting goals is one of the most significant ways to build a business.  The act of setting reachable short term goals, as well as long term goals will mean the difference between the person being moderately successful, or substantially successful with a business project on Google.  In turning to the Wikipedia online encyclopedia for a more concise explanation we find valuable information. 

"Goal Setting involves setting specific, measurable and time targeted objectives. Work on the theory of goal-setting suggests that it is an effective tool for making progress by ensuring that participants are clearly aware of what is expected from them, if an objective is to be achieved. On a personal level, setting goals is a process that allows people to specify then work towards their own objectives - most commonly with financial or career-based goals. Goal setting is a major component of Personal development literature.

The business technique of Management by objectives uses the principle of goal setting. In business, goal setting has the advantages of encouraging participants to put in substantial effort; and, because every member is aware of what is expected of.... him or her (high role perception), little room is left for inadequate effort going unnoticed.

To be most effective goals should be tangible, specific, realistic and have a time targeted for completion. There must be realistic plans to achieve the intended goal. For example, setting a goal to go to Mars on a shoe string budget is not a realistic goal while setting a goal to go to Hawaii as a backpacker is a possible goal with possible, realistic plans. Setting unrealistic goals can be very harmful, especially to teenagers, because if a goal is not achieved it may lower one's self-esteem. Over time this setting of unrealistic goals can lead to depression and, in extreme cases, suicide.

One drawback of goal setting is that implicit learning may be inhibited. This is because goal setting may encourage simple focus on an outcome without openness to exploration, understanding or growth. [citation needed] "Goals provide a sense of direction and purpose" (Goldstein, 1993, p.96). Locke et al. (1981) examined the behavioral effects of goal-setting, concluding that 90% of laboratory and field studies involving specific and challenging goals led to higher performance than easy or no goals.

While some managers would believe it is sufficient to urge employees to 'do their best', Locke and Latham have a clear contradicting view on this. The authors state that people who are told to 'do their best' will not do so. 'Doing your best' has no external referent which implies that it is useless in eliciting specific behavior. To elicit some specific form of behavior from others, it is important that this person has a clear view of what is expected from him/her. A goal is thereby of vital importance because it facilitates an individual in focusing their efforts in a specified direction. In other words; goals canalize behavior (Cummings & Worley p. 368). However when goals are established at a management level and thereafter solely laid down, employee motivation with regard to achieving these goals is rather suppressed (Locke & Latham, 2002 p.705). In order to increase motivation the employees not only need to be allowed to participate in the goal setting process but the goals have to be challenging as well (Cummings & Worley p. 369).

Managers can not be constantly able to drive motivation and keep track of an employee's work on a continuous basis. Goals are therefore an important tool for managers since goals have the ability to function as a self-regulatory mechanism that acquires an employee a certain amount of guidance (Shalley, 1995 p. 401). Locke and Latham (2002) have distilled four mechanisms through which goal setting is able to affect individual performance:

1) Goals focus attention towards goal-relevant activities and away from goal-irrelevant activities.

2) Goals serve as an energizer; higher goals will induce greater effort while low goals induce lesser effort.

3) Goals affect persistence; constraints with regard to resources will affect work pace.

4) Goals activate cognitive knowledge and strategies which allows employees to cope with the situation at hand. Through an understanding of the effect of goal setting on individual performance organizations are able to use goal setting to benefit organizational performance. Locke and Latham (2002, p. 707-709) have therefore indicated three moderators which indicate the success of goal setting:

I. Goal commitment – people will perform better when they are committed to achieve certain goals. Goal commitment is dependent of : a. The importance of the expected outcomes of goal attainment and; b. Self-efficacy; ones belief that (s)he is able to achieve the goals.

II. Feedback – keep track of performance to allow employees to see how effective they have been in attaining the goals. Without proper feedback channels it is impossible to adapt or adjust to the required behavior.

III. Task complexity – more difficult goals require more cognitive strategies and well developed skills. The more difficult the tasks ahead, a smaller group of people will posses the necessary skills and strategies. From an organizational perspective it is thereby more difficult to successfully attain more difficult goals since resources become more scarce.

IV. Employee motivation - The more employees are motivated, the more they are stimulated and interested in accepting goals.

V. Macro-economical characteristics. The position of the economy in the conjecture puts pressure or simply relieves the organization. This means that some goals are easier set in specific macro-economical surroundings. Depression is for instance the least successful conjectural phase for goal setting.

These success factors are not to be seen independently. For example the expected outcomes of goals are positively influenced when employees are involved in the goal setting process. Not only does participation increase commitment in attaining the goals that are set, participation influences self-efficacy as well. In addition to this feedback is necessary to monitor ones progress. When this is left aside, an employee might (s)he is not making enough progress. This can reduce self-efficacy and thereby harm the performance outcomes in the long run (Bandura 1993 p.119-120)."  The Wikipedia Online Encyclopedia is important to business professionals as literally any topic can be found here.

In pursuing an online business on Google, its important to remember to choose the program that is real and substantial.  Most often, the term smoke and mirrors could adequately describe online businesses that are seen.  This is no way indicative that real businesses do not exist online.  In pursuing this line of thought, fact based information will be provided below concerning one of, (if not the), most professional business found today.  Al Turnquist, CEO and Founder of MOM (Mentors on a Mission), Predator and Jaguar Marketing, is being heralded as being the guru of business sales training and business coaching on Google.  His vision and straight to the point business savvy, is leading people to become very productive with their online business concerns.  Mr. Turnquist is ever diligent with the path that he chose years ago.

Since the introduction of Mentors on a Mission in 2004, the business has brought to life, that the possibilities are truly endless for professional business men and women to become part of.  While viewing a graph concerning MOM, one would clearly be led on a nearly vertical line.  This popularity is well grounded.  Persons who stay the course, attend the webinar training classes, take the information and put it to use are achieving phenomenal monetary results.  The business itself contains all the necessary elements for success.  Business sales coaching, business mentoring, search engine optimization, search engine marketing, building effective lead capture pages and obtaining are all taught by Al Turnquist, and the dedicated training staff that diligently provide information.  These training sessions are all conducted in a state of the art web conferencing room environment.  From the ground up, the entire professional business known as Jaguar Marketing is providing real-time and legitimate information for the esteemed members of the Jag Marketing System.

Goal setting is one of the prime focuses of many of the Jag Training Sessions.  Mr. Turnquist believes in visualization, motivation, determination and goal setting as all important steps on the upward ladder climb to success.  He is more than willing to share his quality time with the members of Jag.  This is impressive in itself as most so-called internet gurus, tend to stay shrouded  in haze and mystery.  Not Mr. Turnquist.  This man even takes to the phones on a regular basis to talk with people about the Jag Marketing System.  This brings great credibility and reliability to the program.

Jaguar Marketing is not like other online programs seen on Google.  It is not an mlm, ponzi shame, scam or an over-exaggerated success program by any means.  As a matter of fact, this professional business system is being viewed by many top level corporate executives as the best online business to become associated with.  The success rates for the system owners are very good.  The men and women who are dedicated, persistent and willing to work walk away the winners in this program.  It is a common misconception on Google that one gets rich quick in an online business.  The creed and goal of Al Turnquist, the training crew and the support team are all geared for the individual to become wealthy the right way.  Slowly making progress day by day with Jag will lead to suitable results.  For more in information concerning Jaguar Marketing, simply follow the links below.  Jaguar will become "The Key to Your FInancial Future."

Al Turnquist-CEO and Founder of MOM, Predator and Jaguar Marketing
 
 

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