The document discusses four keys to developing effective goals: 1) goals should be specific and measurable by answering what will be improved, by how much, and by when. 2) goals should be positive and state what will happen rather than what will not. 3) goals should be directed at results rather than attempts. 4) goals should have a reasonable chance of being obtained and start with small, incremental improvements.

1. Four Keys to Developing Effective Goals
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2.  Four Keys to Developing Effective Goals
Goals are what inspire us to go beyond—to transcend previous accomplishments and to feel the
satisfaction of continuous improvement, whether personal or professional. In order for a goal to be
effective and realistic, however, it must be more than just a wish or a hopeful intention. This article
will help you to develop goals that meet four key criteria. Additional tips for helping you and your
employees to consistently meet goals can be found in Managing & Motivating Contact Center
Employees (McGraw-Hill, December 2002), authored by the Impact Learning Systems team.
 The first key to a well-written goal is that it should be specific and measurable. That means
that it should answer three important questions:
1. What will be improved?
2. By how much or how many?
3. By when?
For example, let’s say you develop a goal to “get my paperwork in on time.” The intention is
clear, but how will you know if you’ve accomplished your goal? And how much of an
improvement will you make over what you’re currently doing? A better way to write this
goal would be to make it specific and measurable:
I’ll catch up on all outstanding paperwork by this Friday. From then on, I’ll turn in my
reports and department time sheets by the specified deadline.
 The second key criterion for goals is that they should be positive. Notice the difference
between the following two goals:
Goal #1: I won’t keep procrastinating on the monitoring form rewrite.
Goal #2: I will finish the revision of the monitoring form by June 12.
The second goal is more powerful because it says what will happen rather than what will
not. The first example calls to mind the failure of not getting things done on time. The
second example is more motivating because it helps a person to visualize a successful
outcome.
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3.  The third key is to create goals that are directed towards results rather than attempts.
Notice the difference between the following two examples:
Goal #1: We’ll mention the warranty to all customers.
Goal #2: Our team will increase the number of warranties sold by five percent.
In the first example, there’s a danger of obtaining a false sense of success; If you mention
the warranty to all customers but nobody buys it, will you really feel you’ve succeeded with
the intention behind the goal? The second example, however, is aimed at a specific result—
an increase in warranties purchased by customers.
 Finally, goals should have a reasonable chance of being obtained. To ensure this, start with
small improvements. Note how much more reasonable the second of the following two
examples is.
Goal #1: I’ll decrease turnover rate for my team by 80 percent this quarter.
Goal #2: I’ll decrease the turnover rate for my team by 20 percent over the next six
months.
In order to maintain your motivation to continually set and reach goals, it’s important to
keep them obtainable. If they’re too lofty or unrealistic, you may eventually become
discouraged and disinterested. Remember, you can always set new goals once you’ve
reached your original ones.
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