In the track through life most of us, at one time or another, have written goals to help us stay the path or define the roadmap we wish to follow. You may have also heard that you must write \”goals and objectives\” without a great definition about what each of those entails. In the early years, prior to much of the research that\’s been done, individuals wrote broad based goals that defined their dreams and desires for success. But today, researchers have more fully defined how goals and objectives work together in order to lead an individual to success.
For the most part, goals are defined as broad with general intentions and sometimes intangible. Some people believe that goals are abstract and cannot be validated. On the other hand, objectives must be written which are quite the opposite, meaning narrow, precise, tangible, concrete and can be validated, in order to achieve these nebulous and overreaching goals. (1)
However, as research continued, personal development specialists came to realize that large nebulous goals meant nothing to individuals and, for the most part, people who were successful in life used smart goals. Smart goals are specific, achievable, realistic, timely and manageable. By stating goals in a way in which objectives used to be stated, the line between goals and objectives became more blurry. (2)
Today goals are defined as long-term aims that continue to be able to be validated while objectives are concrete tasks that are achieved by following a certain number of steps and often lead to the successful completion of a goal.
In the work force, employers often want to know that future employees know the difference between a goal and objective. It can be crucial to the acceptance of any proposal you make. Goals are always more about the journey rather than the tasks you accomplish along the way. The objectives are more concrete and something you can hold in your hand which are clearly defined and include timelines or budget and personnel needs.
In some cases individuals use the words goals and objectives interchangeably because of the way in which goals have come to be written. However, in the context of setting goals, there must be a difference between the objectives and goals that fall under or the hierarchy of a larger overreaching goal. The objectives are there to serve your goal and to allow you to achieve your goal.
Objectives are also usually more than just tasks or activities. There is usually some type of challenge to achieving your objective which leads to successful completion. To achieve the success you need to practice persistence and flexibility. By persistently sticking to your goals but staying flexible in the way in which they can be achieve them through your objectives, you can overcome challenges and obstacles thrown your way.
In other words you do not change the end goal but rather the means by which you achieve it. So another definition of goals and objectives is that the goal represents the end result while the objectives are the means by which you achieve it.
Goals can be written by employers to assist employees in their growth and development at work, learning goals can be written by professors to help students achieve a successful end result of their education and marriage partners can write relationship goals to help them achieve a successful relationship which encompasses open communication, compromise and a common understanding of the direction each individual is taking.
If you keep in mind that your goal is the overall end result you wish to achieve and the objectives are the means by which you got there, you won\’t be confused or concerned the next time your employer asks you to write goals and objectives for the new project your organization is attempting.
(1) University of Connecticut: How to Write Program Objectives/Outcomes
http://www.assessment.uconn.edu/docs/HowToWriteObjectivesOutcomes.pdf
(2) Jewish Community Center of Philadelphia: Writing Goals and Objectives
https://www.jewishphilly.org/