What is the difference between goals and objectives?

In any career, it is important to understand goals and their benefits for both you and your organization. A goal is a desired end result to which a commitment is made. Goals are set in the workplace to motivate individuals toward task completion and to enhance their efficiency and productivity. The more specific and refined your goals, the more successful you will be at achieving them.

Although the words ”goals” and ”objectives” are often used interchangeably, they have different meanings. Whereas a goal indicates a target to be reached, an objective identifies the factors, competencies, or abilities required to meet a goal.

For example, suppose your organization’s goal is to deliver 100 widgets to a client this week. To reach this goal, the production department must meet its objective to produce 100 widget casings. In addition, the packaging department must meet its objective to package 100 widgets and the shipping department must meet its objective for on-time delivery.

What does the GOALS acronym stand for?

The GOALS acronym outlines activities that use goal setting to overcome procrastination. These guidelines are:

• Generate list of tasks
• Organize daily activities
• Align personal goals with organizational goals
• Line up tasks according to priority
• Stay focused

September 3rd 2013 – IQUAD Learning Solutions – International Certified Professional