Goal-setting has been described as 'the inner technology of success'.

It is one of your
organization's most important activities. Unless taken seriously, this vital planning task will
be futile, producing only a few high sounding intentions that, for various reasons, are soon
forgotten. So, if you want challenging and achievable goals, you should consider these basic
principles.

Specific: Goals need to be specific. The more specific goals are the more focused one
can be on achieving them. However, goals should be kept simple. Specific goals need
to be selected for the right reason also. Choosing a goal that makes one happy
(satisfies an individual`s needs), as opposed to making someone else happy is
important. Specific goals should have a motivating reason behind them as well. In
other words: Why is the goal important?

2. Keep your goals simple. 

If goals are complex, it is unlikely they will be clear and specific enough to focus effort and
marshal the necessary resources. Clear simple goals give staff an unmistakable vision of
what needs to be done

Make your goals specific and measurable. 

Goals should be specific rather than vague, and quantitative rather than qualitative. For
example, rather than proposing that you should 'become more visible' around the factory or
office, it is more focused to state that 'I will spend at least one hour a day mixing with staff
in the workplace' and 'I will meet weekly with floor supervisors'. Kris Cole in Make Time,
puts it another way. Set performance, not outcome, goals, says Cole. Avoid goals based on
outcomes that you can't possibly control, advises These expose you to failure. To save
yourself disappointment, double check that you have set goals over which you have as
much control as possible. For example, don't set your goal as 'Win the race'; set instead
'Beat my personal best'. Instead of 'Be respected in my community', try 'Become actively
involved in a community project'. Instead of 'Be the highest selling sales rep in the
company', try 'Cold call at least four new clients a week'.

9. Align goals with the corporate mission. 

Remember to link individual goals to group goals, which ultimately should be linked to
organizational or corporate goals.
Goals set by an organization are specific, quantifiable targets that it commits to
attain in order to achieve its corporate mission and objectives.

Essentially, when an organization sets its specific goals it is saying; "We need to
achieve these specific targets in order to successfully achieve the mission and
objectives of this organization". In fact, goals are the translation of the mission and
objectives of the organization into specific quantifiable terms against which results
can be measured

Goals should be very specific and clear. After communicating the goals, corporate leaders should make
sure employees in the organization understand the what, why and how of the goals as well as are able to
identify how they can benefit from and help to implement the goals. This is often referred as buy-in, where
all employees or team members personally identify with the goals and the corporate mission behind the
goals. A lack of employee buy-in can significantly undermine the effective implementation of goals

By ensuring that each goal passes this test, goal setters will know that their goals are well-crafted and
actionable at each level of the organization.

Specific: the goal must be specific as to what we want to achieve. By the end of 2010, our
gross margins will increase 15%. The goal should clearly define the specific result we want to
achieve.