My perception of a reasonable goal is one that has measurable milesones and outcomes. An unreasonable one might be one where the goal actually shifts as you get close to the finish line or one that you simply don't have the resources to complete. This is the manager's difficult task: to make the goal difficult enough so that it is worth achieving but not so hard as to dishearten and set the direct report up for failure.
I think the more you set small goals and follow through with them, the more ready you will be for the larger things that are thrown at you in life.
A reasonable goal is one that can be understood and achieved by all group members. An unreasonable goal would be vague or iderglistic and difficult to measure.
Great point Dwight, you have to see that you can achieve the smaller steps & this will lead to pursuing more challenging goals.
Ryan
You make a great point James. If someone is near to reaching the goal & we then realize it may have been a little too easy, we still need to let them achieve that goal as it is. We can then set new goals & push them harder the next time.
Ryan
Good point. And I would add that depending upon the experience & abilities of your group, sometimes vague goals can be effective as it allows each group member to form their own personal vision of the goal. Again, this is challenging & should only be done when you have a very capable & experienced group.
Ryan
A reasonable goal needs to be evaluated by determining what you want to accomplish and then break it into small goals. An unreasonable goal is when your goals are set to high standards and you haven’t measure them accordingly to reach them.
A reasonable goal involves inspiration, enthusiasm and determination.
No matter how "reasonable" a goal seems when it it is set, if there hasn't been that feeling of "this is something I really need to do" that comes from a person's core, the goal is doomed.
Secondly, after inspiration it's important that a person start out with enthusiasm and end up with the dogged determination that won't give up and won't quit. "I've come too far and fought too hard to give in now." is one of my favorite mantas for goals.
A reasonable goal is a goal that I believe that I can accomplish without unrealistic obstacles. Unreasonable goals are asking someone to reach a goal that you could not see yourself accomplishing.
A reasonable goal is one that is obtainable giving consideration to time and resources. It should also align with a mission statement. An unreasonable goal is not reasonably obtainable or achievable - one that may not take into consideration time, resources or the mission statement.
Clear goals should be based on the SMART criteria,
Specific (description)
Measurable (qualitative or quantitative)
Achievable
Realistic (time and resources)
Time-limited (timeframe)
Making sure that each member of the team has a clear understanding of his/her role(s) based on the SMART criteria will help ensure success with the goals. A crucial point of goal setting is finding the right balance between setting the bar too high or too low. Knowing a team’s capabilities will help a team leader to find the right balance and succeed in setting clear and achievable (reasonable) team goals.
Agree, if you are not measuring progress on goals all along the way, they are definitely unreasonable.
Ryan
Tracy,
Some great thoughts throughout here. I especially like your point about the feeling of "I really need to do this" from your core. As you said, if that's not there, you won't stick with it.
Ryan
I think you bring up a good reminder regarding goals. Unrealistic goals do not mean that there are obstacles, for all challenging & real goals should involve obstacles of some kind. But rather, unrealistic goals are those that have obstacles that are insurmountable.
Ryan
Great point regarding the consideration of time & resources. I think this is something that those in leadership must always remember: some goals may seem reasonable but if we don't have access to the needed resources or if time is too short then the goal becomes unreasonable.
Ryan
Reasonable goals the team can achieve with specific indicators that measure the progress toward the team goal.
My "unreasonable goal" is to evolve personal development processes that produce consistent and lasting results for anyone at any stage of their growth. Is that realistic? Probably not.
a goal what can be achieved within a set time frame and available resources is considered a reasonable goal.
Unreasonable goals are the goals that may not be corresponding to the to the company mission or vision. Theses goals with out the support from the copmany are truely attainable. Goals for any organization must correspond with the vision and mission of that oganization. Without the resouces etc. they can not be meet. Reasonable goal is one that follows the organizations mission.
I agree with you. a organizations goal should not have such unrealistic obstacles that you feel that all you are doing is running into a brick wall. You need the support and the resouces to be available and ready for you to use. This makes for a happy workplace and motivated employees. Unfortunatly today to many leaders have been asking for the unreasonable goals you mentioned as a means of downsizing. They are setting up employees to fail.
Thanks Bo. With your "unreasonable goal" I see a common problem: the use of "buzz words" or "high powered" words because it looks good on paper. But when we use common down to earth words we find them easier to measure & achieve.
Ryan
Great, how do you account for the individual strengths of the team members when determining goals?
Ryan
