Identifying - Objectives Practical

Planning and Choosing: Identifying Objectives
IDENTIFYING OBJECTIVES
How do you set objectives?
In this section you can look at:
● different ways of setting objectives
● putting your objectives into different categories Objectives
What are objectives?
What do
you think?
Do you know the difference between aims and objectives?
95
ARKS KEYS TO PARTICIPATION-FINLAND
Did you think of any of these possibilities?
● Aims are your general goals in your life. You may have never actually said
them out loud. They are usually so broad that it’s sometimes hard to realise
when you reach them. Aims can be closely related to your values, and sum
up your general purposes in life.
● Objectives are tasks you set out to achieve in manageable stages,

working towards your aims. Choose objectives that you know you
can achieve.
● Objectives can change - so it’s good to have an aim that keeps you going in
the same direction.
● The more precise and defined your objectives are, the easier it is to
follow a plan to reach your aim.
● Once you have set your objectives, you can record your progress. It’s
possible to evaluate a process which has defined objectives.
● If you are involved in a project with others, it helps if you have stated
your objectives or have them written down. Then you know which
objectives you share and which ones cannot be fulfilled in this group.
● It’s not usually possible to reach all your objectives at once. You will
also recognise which objectives you want to reach in your study group
and also which ones you will try to reach in other areas of your life.
96
Activity 1
How do you set objectives in your life? What methods do you use? Do you dream
or think rationally, or both? Write about your methods here: Activity
What do
you think?
Which objectives do you feel you have set yourself ? Which ones have come
from outside, or been imposed upon you by family, society or others?
97
Activity 2
Look at this story of Anna from Helsinki, Finland. Can you sort out the different
Activity objectives she has into different catogories? There are some suggestions to help
you.
Anna is 36 years old and a divorced mother of two sons, living in a suburb
of Helsinki, Finland. She attends evening classes as she wants to get some
qualifications. When she was young she did a secretarial course, then
worked in an office, but now, having been unemployed for a while she
would like to go back to college to study. This is how she describes her life,
Reading her studies and her objectives:
Task
“Originally I got interested in taking evening classes for personal
reasons. The truth was that I needed to get out of the house
having been unemployed for almost a year and recently divorced.
I needed something else to think about. My sister-in-law
volunteered to babysit for the three nights a week, and I return
the favour by babysitting for her two nights a week.
I needed to meet new people. I didn’t see my ex colleagues any more,

I didn’t go out with the friends my ex husband knows, and so that left
me with only a small handful of friends. Frankly, I don’t like going to
pubs and bars to meet new people. You mostly run into drunks there.
In the study group I need to work on cooperation skills. We do a lot of
group work and sometimes I find it difficult to join in the discussions.
My evening classes are great. I find the social studies most

interesting as I feel that I can use my brain and my experience.
Languages are hard but I’m determined I will learn Swedish
(never could speak it) and improve my English, which is OK
already according to my teacher! In maths I can easily do the
levels I need for university studies. I really want to concentrate
on social studies and take that further. I need to learn computing
as my skills are out of date, and it will be impossible to ever get a job
without good computer skills.
Economically, the evening classes are the only possible way for
me to study as I also have to work. I have had two short jobs so
far this year. I hope after my exams that I can study part time,
and when I finish studying, I will find a better job with better
pay.
98
Activity 2 continued
At first I didn’t intend to sit exams and go to university, as I wasn’t sure

I could do that. I just felt I needed to improve my self-esteem and these Activity
classes did that just by letting me discuss subjects with other grown- continued
ups! Once I started the classes I realised that I wanted to go on studying.
I worked in a lawyer’s office before, and now I want to study law. I
know, I have big plans! I really want to help women who are in need of
legal advice. Ideally I would like to work in a law centre or advice centre
after my studies.”
Now fill in this chart of Anna’s objectives!
Field Objectives
social ● group work skills

●
●
professional ● university entrance

●
●
personal ● get away from home

●
●
99
Activity 3
Think about a group, or organisation you belong to and answer these questions:
Activity
Have you defined the aims and objectives of your group? What do you want to
achieve?
aims:
What do
you think?
objectives:
If you haven’t got clear objectives, how can you find out what they are?
Write your suggestions here:
100
Did you follow these steps?
● refer to the constitution of your group (have you defined why your group
exists?)
● define the aim of your work according to your shared values
● brainstorm general ideas
● categorise the results into aims and objectives, or shared objectives and
personal objectives
● break down the objectives into tasks that need to be done
101
Activity 4
Use the following table to chart your own objectives for your life at the moment. If
Activity you are a member of a study group/ an action group, you can also think about any
common objectives you share in the group.
Common objectives in your group:
Objectives of the group you don’t share:
Your personal objectives in this group:
102
Activity 4 continued
Your personal objectives that cannot be fulfilled within the work of this group:
Activity
continued
103
Evaluation Questions
Have these exercises helped you to define your objectives? Say why, or
why not.
What have
you learned?
How does distinguishing between group and personal objectives help you to agree
on how a group can work together?
If you have personal objectives which cannot be met within the group,
how do you plan to achieve them?
104

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Planning and Choosing: Identifying Objectives

How do you set objectives?

In this section you can look at:

● different ways of setting objectives

● putting your objectives into different categories Objectives

What are objectives?

Do you know the difference between aims and objectives?

Did you think of any of these possibilities?

● Objectives are tasks you set out to achieve in manageable stages,

I needed to meet new people. I didn’t see my ex colleagues any more,

My evening classes are great. I find the social studies most

At first I didn’t intend to sit exams and go to university, as I wasn’t sure

Now fill in this chart of Anna’s objectives!

social ● group work skills

professional ● university entrance

personal ● get away from home

Did you follow these steps?

● define the aim of your work according to your shared values

● brainstorm general ideas

● break down the objectives into tasks that need to be done

Common objectives in your group:

Objectives of the group you don’t share:

Your personal objectives in this group:

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