Skillsoft Blended Learning Resource

Setting Goals and Objectives – Activity Guide

Determining how to achieve your vision of yourself in the future is an important step in becoming the leader you want to be. To do this, you need to set goals, objectives, and actions.

Where to begin? Your vision is way off in the future. There are likely many different roads you could take to get there. The road you want to find is the one with the fewest dead-ends and potholes.

You can use this activity guide to help you identify the goals, objectives, and actions that will help you achieve your long-term vision for yourself.

Goals and Objectives

Goals

Goal statements can help you, but it's your objectives that really drive you toward your vision. Goals are broad-based statements of intent. They are vague.

Objectives

Objectives are specific and challenging. They outline you what you must do, how you must do it, and sometimes when you must have it done.

Objectives use action words such as identify, list, perform, demonstrate, show, or calculate. Because the language is specific, objectives are actionable – you know what you need to do just by reading an objective. Words like understand, appreciate, know, and learn are typically too vague to make good objectives.

Objectives should make you stretch, but they should also be attainable. If an objective requires too much or too little of you, you may not try to achieve it.

Setting Goals and Objectives

A good way to identify the road to your destination is to begin at the end and work backward. Complete each of the following steps to identify goals, objectives and actions that are aligned with your final destination.

Step 1: Imagine long-term goals

Ask yourself where you would need to be and what you would need to be doing a year from now in order to be on track for achieving your vision. These milestones are your long-term goals. In the space provided below, list some of your goals. Remember, these should be broad-based statements of intent.

e.g. To be promoted beyond my current position. To have completed at least three projects on time and within budget. To have improved my mentoring abilities.

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Step 2: Identify objectives

Next, consider each of the goals you listed. Ask yourself what you must do to reach this goal? What new skills or knowledge are required? Asking these questions will help you identify your objectives.

In the table provided, list each of your goals in the first column and identify short-term, specific, and actionable objectives related to each goal in the second column. Try to use action words such as identify, list, perform, demonstrate, show or calculate. Remember that objectives are statements that tell what, when, and how.

Goals and Objectives

Goal / Specific Objectives
e.g. To be promoted beyond my current position. / e.g. Complete a senior management training course.

Step 3: Determine actions

Finally, determine what actions are required to meet your objectives. These development actions become the basis for your leadership development plan.

For each goal you identified, complete one of the tables below to determine the actions you need to take. To do this, insert the goal above the table and the related actionable objectives in the first column. Then list the actions you need to take to achieve each objective in the second column. The first table is completed as an example.

Actions

Goal: e.g. To be promoted beyond my current position
Objective / Actions
Complete a senior management training course. / Include the senior management training course in my personal development plan.
Get agreement from manager that I can complete the course.
Research different management training courses.
Select most suitable training course.
Apply for the training course.
Goal: ______
Objective / Actions
Goal: ______
Objective / Actions
Goal: ______
Objective / Actions
Goal: ______
Objective / Actions
Goal: ______
Objective / Actions
Goal: ______
Objective / Actions
Goal: ______
Objective / Actions
Goal: ______
Objective / Actions

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