The DiversE angles to GoaLs & the Magic of Pygmalion effect

From the concept of craftsmanship to modern management and how management leads to productivity. Now it is the time to set SMART goals .The word SMART seems to be harmonic but the question is how?
Going forward with SMART goals , I would like to define the word GOAL .
According to the business dictionary :-Goal is an observable and measurable end result having one or more objective to be achieved within a more or less fixed time-frame.

 Or

According to Merriam -Webster a goal is: the end toward which effort is directed.Goals are dreams and wants except a goal is more specific.
We can categorize goals as:-

And to accomplish the goals we need to do goal setting which is more important than decide goals for individual,team or an organization.Learning how to set goals is as important as knowing what the goal should contain It is important to remember about setting goals is the correct F.R.A.M.E of mind.The goal needs to be focused on the purpose.

"Time is Life .To Waste your Time is to waste your Life;To manage your Time is to manage your Life."---ALAN LAKEIN       

It is important to know what qualities the goals should embody and  here comes the need of SMART Goals.

What do we mean by smart goals?

A S.M.A.R.T. goal is defined as one that is specific, measurable, achievable, results-focused, and time-bound.Explaining the following by giving an example:-
Example: By August 1, 2013, implement a new performance management system for company  XYZ, A& P Faculty, and University Staff using clearly defined processes and guidelines so employees and managers can more competently  evaluate performance and develop their careers. 


SPECIFIC:- Goals should be simplistically written and clearly define what we are going to do.
                Specific is the What, Why, and How of the S.M.A.R.T. model.

Explanation of Example: 

“Implement a new performance management system for Classified Staff, A& P Faculty, and University Staff” = what
“using clearly defined processes and guidelines” = how
“so employees and managers can competently evaluate performance and develop their careers = why

MEASURABLE:- Goals should be measurable so that we have tangible evidence that  we have accomplished the goal. Usually, the entire goal statement is a measure for the project, but there are usually several short-term or smaller measurements built into the goal.

Explanation of Example: 

 The essential metric is whether or not the system is operational by August 1st

ACHIEVABLE:- Goals should be achievable; they should stretch us slightly so we feel challenged, but defined well enough so that we can achieve them. We must possess the appropriate knowledge, skills, and abilities needed to achieve the goal.

Explanation of Example: 

In order to reach this goal ,have a skill set, in this case in the area of performance management, that allows to understand the nature of the goal, and the goal must present a large enough challenge to remain interested in and committed to accomplishing.

REALISTIC :-To be realistic ,goal must represent an objective toward which we are both willing and able to work.A goal can be both high and realistic,we are the only one who decide just how high each one's goal should be.But be sure that every goal represents substantial progress.

Explanation of Example: 

The result of this goal is a process that allows employees and managers to more competently evaluate performance and develop their careers, not the individual activities and actions that occur in order to make the goal a reality. 

TIME-BOUND:- Goals should be linked to a time frame that creates a practical sense of urgency, or results in tension between the current reality and the vision of the goal. Without such tension, the goal is unlikely to produce a relevant outcome. 

Explanation of Example: 

 August 1, 2013 provides you with a time-bound deadline.

In addition to this Goal Setting and Goal Achievement we derive a formula for performance :-

                              GOAL SETTING + GOAL ACHIEVEMENT = PERFORMANCE

Goal Achievement should impact Goal setting positively and goal is not meant to reach ,on the other hand they inspire , motivate to reach them

The goal stimulate idea sharing for an employee as shown:-

Here is a small video to elucidate the need to have goals:-

"To praise or not to praise,That is a question" by Jane Ran

 The Pygmalion effect refers to the phenomenon in which the greater the expectation placed uponpeople, often children or students and employees, the better they perform

The Pygmalion effect is a form of self-fulfilling prophecy, and, in this respect, people with poor expectations internalize their negative label, and those with positive labels succeed accordingly.

Summarize the Pygmalion effect, often known as the power of expectations, by considering:

Every supervisor has expectations of the people who report to him.

Supervisors communicate these expectations consciously or unconsciously.

People pick up on, or consciously or unconsciously read, these expectations from their supervisor.

People perform in ways that are consistent with the expectations they have picked up on from the supervisor.

The Pygmalion effect was described by J. Sterling Livingston in the September/October, 1988 Harvard Business Review. "The way managers treat their subordinates is subtly influenced by what they expect of them," Livingston said in his article, Pygmalion in Management.

The Pygmalion effect enables staff to excel in response to the manager’s message that they are capable of success and expected to succeed. The Pygmalion effect can also undermine staff performance when the subtle communication from the manager tells them the opposite. These cues are often subtle. As an example, the supervisor fails to praise a staff person's performance as frequently as he praises others. The supervisor talks less to a particular employee.

Livingston went on to say about the supervisor, "If he is unskilled, he leaves scars on the careers of the young men (and women), cuts deeply into their self-esteem and distorts their image of themselves as human beings. But if he is skillful and has high expectations of his subordinates, their self-confidence will grow, their capabilities will develop and their productivity will be high. More often than he realizes, the manager is Pygmalion."

Can you imagine how performance will improve if your supervisors communicate positive thoughts about people to people? If the supervisor actually believes that every employee has the ability to make a positive contribution at work, the telegraphing of that message, either consciously or unconsciously, will positively affect employee performance.

And, the effect of the supervisor gets even better than this. When the supervisor holds positive expectations about people, she helps individuals improve their self-concept and thus, self-esteem. People believe they can succeed and contribute and their performance rises to the level of their own expectations.

At last I would like to add a quote by Jimmy Dean:-

"I can't change the direction of the wind but I can adjust my sails to always reach the Destination"