To achieve the goal, first of all, it is necessary to correctly designate this goal. In pedagogy, public administration, coaching and psychology, there are various goal-setting technologies that are used to improve the effectiveness of achieving various goals.
Goal-setting technologies are designed to determine the ultimate goals as accurately as possible, and, consequently, to find ways to solve them. Different technologies are used in different fields of activity, however, they all have at their core some general principles.
The meaning of goal-setting technology
The first step, as a rule, is to carefully work with terminology. The goal should be formulated in such a way as to avoid possible ambiguity and misinterpretation. To do this, you need to define for yourself all the terms used in the formulation of the goal. For example, the goal of “getting richer” is a bad option because it has many interpretations. But the wording "by 2015 to triple your income" is much better, as it uses unambiguous terms.
The next important point is the measurability of the goal. It is necessary to set the task in such a way that it is possible to check its completion. If you formulate a goal in a vague and abstract way, for example, "to be happier", you may find yourself unable to determine whether you have achieved what you want or not. Therefore, your goal should be objectively measurable.
The most popular goal-setting technique is S. M. A. R. T - an abbreviation of five English words meaning: concreteness, measurability, attainability, effectiveness, and time limit.
Finally, the task you set must be potentially solvable. Unattainable goals are a source of added stress and frustration. At the same time, it is necessary that certain efforts are required to achieve the goal, since by setting yourself the task of "living until Monday," you are unlikely to change anything in your life (except, of course, in extreme cases).
Application areas of the technique
In coaching, that is, a goal-oriented psychological counseling method, considerable attention is paid to identifying the true needs of the client. It often happens that during the consultation, the client radically changes his goals, realizing what is really important and necessary for him. Typically, this effect is achieved through a variety of leading questions that prompt clients to define terms, needs and capabilities. This is followed by an assessment of the current state of affairs and the search for the simplest path to the goal, based on the available data.
A common mistake in goal setting, especially in pedagogy, management or social work, is to replace a specific goal with a slogan that can motivate, but is not the true goal.
With regard to pedagogy, here goal-setting technologies are applied, first of all, so that each lesson conducted will bring practical benefits to students. In teaching, it is not uncommon for a well-conducted lesson to solve no problems, being a process for the sake of process. To avoid such cases, goal-setting techniques help, forcing the teacher to formulate his task for each lesson, and at the end to check its implementation.
