Goal Setting Theory of Motivation

Introduction

Having a goal in life, job, business, or any task is the first and most important step for its success. The modern understanding of Goal setting was given to us by the pioneer researcher, Locke. According to Locke’s Goal setting theory of motivation, the harder and more specific the goal is, the people, work harder to achieve it. In 1990, after tremendous research, Locke and Latham published their book, ‘A theory of Goal setting and task Performance.’

Five Principles of Locke’s Goal Setting Theory of Motivation

Locke’s Goal setting theory of motivation talks about the following five goal-setting principles which can be applied to both personal goals and the team’s objectives:
1. Setting Clear Goals: The first principle given by Locke’s goal setting theory of motivation is Setting Clear Goals. He gave the concept of setting ‘SMART’ objectives in which SMART stands for specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-bound. We know what we are trying to achieve when our goals are clearer. For personal goal setting, he recommends using SMART and putting a goal in the form of a personal mission statement for enhanced clarity on goals. For team goal setting, specific and measurable standards should be used to set smart goals. Each team member’s success should be measured by using metrics which is also understandable and clear to them.
2. Setting challenging goals: This is the second principle given by Locke’s goal setting theory of motivation. We are often motivated by challenging goals, but with them, we should develop self-discipline which will give us the persistence to work through problems. We should research a major goal enough to see if it’s realistic and reward us incrementally whenever we complete it in divided steps to keep us motivated. While setting goals for the team, we should try to bring balance between pressure and performance and figure out how we will reward team members when they achieve challenging goals. In addition, we should try to create some healthy competition between team members which will encourage them to work harder. 

Don't forget to watch the struggles of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel:

3. Securing team commitment: Team members should be made to participate and understand the goals while setting them. We should also give some leverage to team members to set their own goals to increase their sense of empowerment and commitment. We should manage our team with objectives so their goals align with the company’s goals. For personal goal setting, we can stay committed by using visualization of our life when the goal is achieved. We should also use a treasure map to remind us to work hard. This is the third principle given by Locke’s goal setting theory of motivation.
4. Gaining feedback: The fourth principle given by Locke’s goal setting theory of motivation is Gaining Feedback. Good feedback gives us the opportunity to learn how we and our team are progressing and what changes could be done for more progress. It also allows us to clarify the people’s expectations and opportunities. We should analyze our progress and accomplishments at least once a week and can also use technology to monitor our progress. We should schedule a team meeting regularly and learn to give them feedback that’s useful, objective, and positive. It helps in both self–motivation and employee motivation as well.

5. Considering task complexity: We should give ourselves plenty of time which puts an appropriate amount of pressure while making goals achievable for complex goals. We should break larger and complex goals into smaller ones to make them easily achievable and if still, they are keeping us under stress, then we might need to reassess them. Our team members might need training, tutoring, or mentoring from seniors before they can work towards achieving goals. We can create an environment for them which is feasible for them to work towards our companies’ goals. This is the fifth principle given by Locke’s goal setting theory of motivation.

Conclusion

The above-mentioned five Locke’s goal setting theory of motivation that suggests principles of clarity, challenge, commitment, feedback, and task complexity is a definitive way towards our success. By understanding this theory we can keep ourselves self-motivated, use SMART to measure our performance, and increase our overall performance and progress. Keeping smart goals and then working towards them with the help of these principles can make the journey to success much clearer and defined.