Day 9: What kind of goal will work for you?

Research from the world of sport suggests that three types of goals are important when working towards long-term performance achievement.  These are:

·         Outcome goals

·         Performance goals

·         Process goals

Tip 9:  Set goals that are appropriate for what you want to achieve

Firstly there needs to be an outcome goal. This is the long-term goal that is the desired end-result of all that hard work.  For example it might be 'To win a gold medal at the Olympics in 2016'. This kind of goal should be positive, have a 'towards focus' (i.e. focused on what you want rather than what you don’t want) and be compelling in nature.  However, while it is good for maintaining motivation and direction, it has its weaknesses too.  It is not entirely within the athlete's control; other external factors can get in the way.  An over-focus on outcomes can lead to the athlete experiencing unhelpful levels of stress and rigidity in training.  

So, a more effective strategy is to supplement the outcome goal with performance and process goals.  An example of a performance goal might be:

• By the end of the season, swim 400M in less than 5min 30s. 

Performance goals are just that – they specify a specific level of desired performance.  Unlike outcome goals, these are much more in the control of the individual.  They can be chosen by the individual, based on what he/she wants to focus on as a priority.  Progress can be monitored and training schedules adjusted to allow for any deviations from the original plan.  (See Tip 8 for information on charting your progress).

A process goal is more directed towards the person focusing on key elements/skills which ultimately lead to good performance.  For example, if a triathlete wants to improve their swim time, they may set process goals which focus on technique (e.g. ‘adopt a high elbow lead during the recovery phase of the stroke’).   These types of goals are entirely within the control of the athlete and should be ‘enablers’ to them achieving their performance goals and ultimately their outcome goal.

Using performance and process goals allows you to keep attention on the things that matter in the short term and to work on things that are entirely within your control.  You can adopt the same principles for your own goals.  If you need something motivating, something that is going to get you to put in the effort even on the 'rainy' days an outcome goal may be the ideal type of goal to set yourself.  If you are more concerned with skill development, over a period of time, then a process or performance goal may be more suitable.  Below I have provided a work-related example for salesman:

Outcome goal:   

To achieve top sales person for this financial year.

Performance goal:  

Exceed last year's top performance by £10K. (This means achieving monthly sales of £20k per month).

Process goals:  

1.  Identify three buying criteria from each customer within 3 minutes of starting the conversation.

2.  Daily, re-establish contact with 3 clients from the 'dormant clients' database.

3.  Stay up to date with client information on my Top 5 clients by reading market reports and financial press.