For some, setting goals is challenging.  For others, it is a powerful means of focusing on what one wants in her job, career, family life, spiritual life, etc.  Clearly it is an important tool.  How goal setting is used is important.  Many people only become involved in setting goals and objectives in the natural things in their lives.  Yet, goal setting is one's spiritual (ministry) life can be more rewarding than using it on the job or in planning ones career.

Following are some facts about goal setting from research and practice.

1. Discover some of the conclusions with regard to goal setting from research and practice.
2. Use goal setting for a variety of situations and needs.
3. Review and clarify goal statements.
4. Develop an action plan for achieving one or more top goal(s).
5. Use feedback and suggestions for refining goals and the action plan.
6. Determine different outcomes and results that define achievement of success, failure or need for improvement.

• Have clear, detailed instructions that everyone understands.
• Develop trust with everyone in the group through development of fair and reasonable goals.
• Use goals and objectives positively to help direct performance, not as threats to be afraid of:

Allow spontaneous, informal competition among all involved over performance and progress toward goals to enhance the process.

Recognize persons for success in achieving goals.

• Overcome resistance to goal acceptance by:

Allowing everyone to participate in setting goals.

Training them to improve their skills and confidence.

Offering them rewards for reaching goals.

• Develop a detailed action plan to carry out each goal.
• Provide key support elements to help direct the effort:

Provide adequate resources and allow people to use them to attain goals.

Review and modify policies and procedures that may inhibit or otherwise reduce ability to set goals and achieve them.

Make certain everyone has skills, knowledge and abilities to success in reaching the goal.

Train and coach others when necessary.

• Use action plans and breakdown of tasks in monitoring performance and in giving ongoing feedback about individual and group progress toward each goal.
• Reward superior performance and achievement of goals.
• State goals in clear and well understood language.
• Make sure that the goals are worth doing and are in line with the overall direction or mission.
• When one recognizes a strong performance by an individual or group toward a clearly stated goal, the effect is to increase cooperative efforts by others in the group.
• Another important outcome is to improve the feasibility of goal setting itself within the group.
•  Promote the long-run benefits of achieving the goals to everyone.

This helps to emphasize cooperation

It shifts the focus away from short-run difficulties of getting started on the change effort toward goals.

• Promote solutions to problems in development of goals.
• Try to educate toward new paradigms (wineskins).
• Allow a lot of diverse ideas to be aired.
• Keep everyone informed as you go.
• Try to narrow the focus to suggestions for specific actions.
• Allow alternatives to surface.
• Build trust in teamwork and leadership behavior surrounding goal setting and follow through on goals.
• Be willing to take risks in pursing hard to achieve goals through a series of steps or phases.
• Empower others to make decisions for you, if necessary, to gain momentum toward goals.