Goal-Setting Theory
In 1990, Locke and Latham published their seminal work, “A Theory of Goal Setting & Task
Performance.” In this book, they repeated the need to set specific and difficult goals, while
outlining five other characteristics for successful goal setting."
Lock and Latham’s Five Principles:"
1. CLARITY
#"
#~Setting clear goals"
#~When your goals are clear, you know what you’re trying to achieve. You can also # #
#measure results accurately, and you know which behavior to adapt"
#~SMART can help (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, Time-bound)"
#~What metrics will you use?"
2. CHALLENGING"
#~Difficult goals lead to higher effort and performance"
#~Challenging goals energize you!"
3. COMMITMENT"
#~Make sure you and your team will commit to the goal (believed it is achievable, ## #
#consistent with your values and ambitions, and credible)"
#~Use visualization to imagine how life will look once you have achieved your goals"
#~Make a public commitment!"
4. COMPLEXITY"
#~Consider the complexity and how it is related to your context"
#~Do you need to set a more appropriate deadline to prevent becoming overwhelmed?"
#~Break large, complex goals down into smaller sub-goals."
#~Set learning goals for very complex goals"
5. FEEDBACK"
#"
#~Important to gauge your progress"
#~Gives you the opportunity to clarify expectations and adjust the difficulty of goals"
#~Schedule feedback intermittently"
Locke’s Goal-Setting Theory - Goal Setting Training from mindtools.com"
Building a Practically Useful Theory of Goal Setting and Task Motivation, Locke, E. Latham, G.
American Psychologist, September 2002, Vol. 57, No. 9, 705-717