Why Don't We Discuss Goals?

"What are your goals and how can we help you achieve them?"

How often have your leaders asked you that question and how often do you direct that question to those you lead? Chances are, not often.

It seems simple enough - everyone operates based on motivation. Motivation can come from any number of sources or ideas - maybe your motivation is that you want to become the best softball athletics communications director of all time. Maybe your motivation is that you want to get in and get out of work as quick as possible to pursue your on-the-side musical career. Motivations come in many forms and fashions.

The form of motivation that is most powerful is goals-based motivation. Essentially, this means that every decision you make is based on the goals you have set for yourself. Goals-based motivation drives the most successful of people to reach the highest levels of the areas in which they want to achieve.

So, why are we so afraid to talk about goals? From the standpoint of the individual, maybe you are just plodding along and don't have any specific goals, maybe you have incredibly large goals and are embarassed that others will find them laughable.

For employers, some are afraid of hearing an employee's goals. Your goals give you power. They set a clear course for something to achieve and, if you are dedicated enough, make you unstoppable. If your goals are loftier than your current position, then they're often afraid you will leave to go somewhere else, and then there's a position to fill. If they're hiring you and you have lofty goals, that becomes a problem because a lot of leaders just want the golf contact to do golf - anyone who is hired who aspires to the CoSIDA board, aspires to create change and innovation, improve the program, etc., then becomes a problem. Just doing golf turns into doing golf and trying to reform the whole office and the profession. For some leaders, that then becomes a headache they aren't willing to deal with.

Research has proven that leaders who both give their employees the opportunity to express and vocalize their goals, and allow them the opportunity to work towards those goals are more likely to retain their employees than those who don't.

I think it's so easy for us as athletics communications professionals to get off track from our goals, or not even consider them. The work-load is so sizeable and the hours are so irregular that task-based motivation often takes the place of goal-based motivation.

One would logically think that task-based motivation, while not allowing us to focus on our long-term goals, would at least be more effective in the present. After all, it allows us to complete the tasks at hand, meeting their approaching deadlines. But, actually, in addition to hurting our long-term goals, it compromises the effectiveness of the project at hand. If we fail to consider the long-term goals of the particular project or our four-year plan for that specific sport or athletics department, the task loses focus and isn't as good as it could be. Just like you aren't as good at your job as you could be if you operated on goal-based motivation, the job itself isn't as good if it isn't driven by goal-based motivation.

I'm sure this sounds like a situation that many of you have encountered. Here's what you need to do to get started on the process to realizing your goals:

* Write down your goals. These are going to be different for everyone. Some may be professional goals, some may be personal goals. It's great to have long-term goals and I think everyone should have these to strive for. The best thing you can do is create a four-year plan for your career. It may not even be the positions/jobs you want to have, maybe it's a list of skills you'd like to acquire by then or experiences you would like to have. Print it out. Keep a copy in your briefcase.

* Work on verbalizing these goals. Read them in front of the mirror - maybe you do it on a daily basis. Read them to family members and close friends - get their reactions. Maybe there's something here or there that you need or want to tweak that they can help you with.

* When the opportunity presents itself, discuss the goals with your leader. Perhaps that opportunity comes during your annual evaluation. Let them know what your goals are, where you believe yourself to be in achieving those goals and where you see yourself progressing in the future. If they are interested in your development, you will have their attention.

* Don't fear discussing goals in job interviews: Don't fear discussing your goals in job interviews. Bring them up when asked, even discuss your four-year plan. If the employer is threatened by those goals or don't appreciate you discussing them, you know the job's not for you anyway.

There is nothing more powerful than you making goals-based decisions in pursuit of your goals. That drive, that determination is unmatched. With no goals or no clear course in mind to achieve those goals, it's hard to get where you want to be.

Set your goals, verbalize them, look at them daily and use those goals as the basis for your decision-making. I think once you do that, you'll realize how powerful goals can really be and how they get you where you want to go.