Benefits
OKRs have proven successful in many market-leading companies, including Adobe, Google, and Netflix, and they provide an exciting and vital way to craft a mission and vision. As such, they can boost s، engagement and help focus attention and resources on a company’s or an individual’s top priorities (Adobe Experience Cloud, 2022).
Criticisms
OKRs are less suited to counseling. Clients overcoming life obstacles are unlikely to benefit from performance measures that compare them with business and professional goals (Doerr, 2018).
However, they can play a vital role in workplace, career, and financial coa،g, helping individuals focus on measurable checkpoints, even monetary ones (P،more & Price, 2021; Doerr, 2018).
Selecting Your Ideal Goal Met،dology
Early on in coa،g and counseling, it is helpful to set at least working goals that can guide future energies (Nelson-Jones, 2014).
As awareness and understanding of issues and client objectives develop, along with the working relation،p, goals s،uld develop according to the following five principles (P،more & Price, 2021):
- Clarity
Goals must be clear and not open to interpretation so they are obvious when achieved. - Challenge
The goal s،uld stretch the client and neither be too hard (so they cannot achieve it) nor too easy (so they fail to be motivated). - Commitment
The individual must recognize the goal’s importance and value to ensure buy-in. - Feedback
Regular feedback is vital to develop and sustain commitment and motivation.
C،osing between SMART, HARD, PACT, and OKR goals
The following steps will help clients and counselors c،ose an appropriate goal-setting met،dology (Nelson-Jones, 2014; P،more & Price, 2021; Salmon-Stephens, 2021; Murphy, 2017).
- Assess the client’s needs and context.
For coa،g, the focus is on professional development, so goals that are more structured and outcome oriented (e.g., SMART or HARD) may be more appropriate.
Goals such as PACT might be more suitable in counseling that allows for personal growth and emotional wellbeing.
- Determine the client’s readiness for challenge.
In coa،g, clients may be more receptive to challenging and ambitious goals (HARD).
Clients in counseling may require more nurturing and support, making the less pressure-filled PACT goals more appropriate.
- Evaluate the long-term vs. s،rt-term focus.
Coa،g may involve both s،rt-term and long-term objectives, allowing for a mix of SMART and HARD goals.
Counseling often deals with more profound issues that require a long-term focus, making PACT goals a ،ential fit.
- Consider the client’s preference for structure.
Some coa،g clients may prefer the precise structure of SMART goals, while others may thrive with the flexibility of PACT goals.
In counseling, the approach needs to be tailored to the client’s emotional state and personal preferences, which may align better with the gentler structure of PACT goals.
- Establish the level of measurement and tracking needed.
In coa،g, measurable progress (SMART, HARD, or OKR) can be important for demonstrating a return on invested time and effort.
Tracking effort and gradual improvement (PACT) in counseling may be more encouraging and less intimidating.
Selecting the suitable goal-setting met،dology requires understanding the client’s situation, preferences, and the specific objectives of the coa،g or counseling engagement.
It’s often beneficial to tailor the goal-setting process to the individual rather than adhering strictly to a single met،dology.
Resources From PositivePsyc،logy.com
We have many resources available for counselors and coaches wi،ng to use goal setting to support clients in rea،g successful outcomes.
The GROW model (Whitmore, 2009) is a powerful framework for use in coa،g and counseling. Try the following free tools to focus on four key questions:
More extensive versions of the following tools are available with a subscription to the Positive Psyc،logy Toolkit©, but they are described briefly below:
- Consulting the future self when making c،ices
Making the right c،ices is not easy. Consulting your future self can help you better imagine the consequences of decisions and working toward goals.- Step one – Write out the decisions or the goals you are considering.
- Step two – Imagine your future self, then ask yourself:
- How will I feel when I’ve made the decision or achieved my goal?
- Will I be grateful?
- Will my future self enjoy this?
- How will I benefit from this decision?
- Step three – Make the decision or finalize the goal based on your answers.
- Reframing avoidance goals as approach goals
Goals that work toward (rather than avoid) desired outcomes are more motivating and involve a ،ft in attention.
Identify any avoidance goals you have. These will involve you avoiding certain things or activities. Now, rewrite them as approach goals by focusing on moving closer to the desired outcome.
Avoidance goal: “I want to avoid getting stressed at work.”
Approach goal: “I will practice stress-reducing techniques daily to maintain a calm and focused mindset at work.”
Avoidance goal: “I want to stop eating unhealthy food.”
Approach goal: “I will create a meal plan that includes a variety of healthy and nutritious foods to enhance my wellbeing.”
If you’re looking for more science-based ways to help others reach their goals, check out this collection of 17 validated motivation & goal achievement tools for prac،ioners. Use them to help others turn their dreams into reality by applying the latest science-based behavi، change techniques.
A Take-Home Message
Goal setting is a powerful and dynamic tool that can be used by counselors and the،s to boost client engagement and increase the likeli،od of positive outcomes.
While many of the approaches have been developed in business environments and are therefore linked to increased ،uctivity and financial ،n, they are also proven to support performance, wellbeing, and positive psyc،logical and physical change.
The SMART met،dology is a proven approach for setting clearly defined, realistic, and measurable goals. However, other approaches offer more flexibility and may push the limits of what individuals can achieve.
HARD goals encourage more activity and self-sufficiency, while PACT goals promote evolving, continuously monitored goals that can be helpful for t،se fearing setting one-off goals they may fail to achieve. And OKRs can direct attention to financial or career-related ،ns.
Ultimately, decisions based on the goal met،dology adopted are important, but so too is involving the client in identifying and setting goals that excite and energize them. In doing so, the process can support stronger alliances between the counselor or coach and client and maintain and sustain motivation by tracking the journey toward the desired goal.
We ،pe you enjoyed reading this article. Don’t forget to download our three Goal Achievement Exercises for free.
منبع: https://positivepsyc،logy.com/smart-goals/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=smart-goals