Organizational Goal Setting

GOALS

Statements describing what your organization wishes to accomplish - the ends toward which your efforts will be directed. Remember to review and/or change your goals from term to term or year to year, depending on the organization.

WHY SET GOALS?

1. Give direction, help avoid chaos
2. Motivate members
3. Clarify & communicate what you are striving for
4. Define your organization
5. Act as a basis for recognition, accomplishments, realizing successes
6. Save time
   a) Become more aware of problems in time to develop solutions
   b) Be better able to prepare and plan ahead

OBJECTIVES
Descriptions of exactly what is to be done derived from goals. Clear specific statements of measurable tasks accomplished as steps toward reaching your goals. Objectives are short-term and have deadlines. You will probably have a number of objectives for each of your goals.

SETTING GOALS
It is best to set goals as a group. This will create many positive results:

1. Better commitment - people support what they create.
2. More motivation among members and officers.
3. Clarity of goals - better understanding of the goals and the rationale for selecting them.
4. Better goals - more ideas and opinions in the decision process.

STEPS FOR SETTING AND ACHIEVING GOALS

1. Brainstorm goals as a group.
2. Choose from the brainstorm list those that you want to attend to.
3. Prioritize as a group.
4. Determine objectives for each goal, then a plan of action for each objective.
5. Move into action, follow through. It is very important to accomplish step #5. Many groups fail because they stop at step #4.
6. Continually evaluate your progress.
7. Be flexible; allow your objective to change with new circumstances.

ACTION PLANNING

1. What is to be done (your objective)?
2. How will it be accomplished?
3. What are the resources -- people, money, and material?
4. Who will carry it through?
5. When will it be accomplished?
6. Results expected and how will they be measured?

EXAMPLE OF AN ACTION PLAN

1. Objective: To develop a committee structure to increase member involvement to at least 40% by next term.
2. How: Discuss the ideas with the executive board; delegate setting up the system to one or two executive officers.
3. Resources: members, officers, consultants (e.g. advisor, Student Life Staff)
4. Who: Executive board and any key members
5. When: by next term
6. Results: Not acceptable -- membership involvement increases by less than 40%, Acceptable -- membership involvement increases 40-70% Better than expected -- membership involvement increases by more than 70%.

Adapted from: Organizational Goal Setting, C. Carlsen-Jones, SODC, University of Michigan