Many people have career goals, but their goals stop at phrases like "want to grow" or "want to get promoted." These phrases feel true, but they are difficult to use to make any decisions for tomorrow morning. Organizational psychology research provides detailed answers about what makes a goal truly effective.
Specific goals outperform "do your best"
Edwin Locke and Gary Latham summarized 35 years of goal-setting research in the journal American Psychologist (2002). Their key finding: specific and challenging goals consistently lead to higher performance than merely suggesting to do your best. According to them, "do your best" lacks a reference point outside of oneself, making almost any outcome seem sufficient.
They identified four ways goals work:
- Directing attention and effort toward relevant activities.
- Mobilizing effort: higher goals trigger greater effort than low goals.
- Maintaining persistence, especially when the time to work can be self-regulated.
- Triggering strategies: goals encourage individuals to seek and utilize relevant knowledge.
Three conditions for goals not to remain on paper
The effect of goals is strongest when individuals are committed, especially when the goals are difficult. Goals accompanied by feedback are also more effective than goals alone. This is why career maps in companies are useful: they provide a reference that can be checked, such as what positions are realistic in a few years and what skills are required.
The third condition is often overlooked: complex tasks. Locke and Latham noted that for complex tasks, hard outcome targets can actually be detrimental if the strategy has not been mastered. The solution is specific learning goals, such as completing one certification or managing one cross-divisional project, rather than just a position target. The effect size also decreases for the most complex tasks: the effect size of goals is difficult to record at 0.48 for the most complex tasks compared to 0.67 for the simplest tasks.
From goals to actions: if-then plans
Clear goals do not guarantee you will start. Peter Gollwitzer and Gabriele Oettingen explain "implementation intention," which is a plan in the form of "if situation X occurs, then I will do Y." Goals only state the desired end result, while if-then plans link that result to a concrete trigger. Gollwitzer and Sheeran's meta-analysis (2006) of 94 studies with over 8,000 participants found a moderate to large effect (d = 0.65) on goal achievement, beyond the effect of the goals themselves.
An example for a presentation: not just "the presentation must be good," but "If the meeting is scheduled, then two days beforehand I will write one sentence of the outcome that must be decided by the participants, along with two supporting figures."
Note on the origin of the term
The idea of detailing desired outcomes is also known in NLP (Neuro-Linguistic Programming) training. It is important to note that the evidence base for the power of specific goals comes from the aforementioned goal-setting research, not from NLP. A scientific letter in the Polish Psychological Bulletin (2013) referred to a systematic review that found no clear indication that NLP techniques improve health outcomes. So use the principles of specificity, but refer to the evidence from research that has indeed tested it.
Practical steps
- Write career goals with measurable numbers or indicators, complete with deadlines.
- Break them down into near-term goals and one learning goal.
- Schedule feedback, such as monthly reviews with your supervisor.
- Create two or three if-then plans for habits that support them.
If you prefer to see the explanation directly, there is a NLP class clip about career maps.
Sources
- Locke, E. A., & Latham, G. P. (2002). Building a Practically Useful Theory of Goal Setting and Task Motivation: A 35-Year Odyssey. American Psychologist, 57(9), 705-717.
- Gollwitzer, P. M., & Oettingen, G. Planning Promotes Goal Striving (book chapter), University of Konstanz.
- Luszczynska, A. (2013). Neuro-Linguistic Programming: A Technique's Collection or a Convincing Approach to Human Behavior and Health. Polish Psychological Bulletin, 44(4), 462-464.