Goal Setting: Types and Benefits
Goal setting is a strategy used widely in sport since it has a number of benefits for the performer, and is one of the strategies used to help reduce the effects of social loafing and to improve cohesion for the coach and player to set goals or targets for future reference.
- The benefits of goal setting are: increasing motivation and making sure that participants keep on trying, since players can become task persistent when there is a target to aim for that requires some effort to reach – once the player has succeeded, a sense of pride and satisfaction increases intrinsic motivation; improving confidence since the performer can experience an improvement in technique or results as the target is being reached; and regulating and sustaining effort, as the player continues to strive to reach a target
- Outcome goals (or product goals) concern the results and are success-based, e.g. winning a trophy or making the play-offs. Outcome goals involve a comparison with others, and if the athlete begins to think they are not as good as other competitors, motivation may be lost – if the athlete is less experienced or less talented, a performance-type goal may be best
- Performance goals are judged against previous performances in an attempt to improve personal achievement, rather than being based on a comparison with others, e.g. achieving a personal best time in swimming. This might be broken down into techniques used at various parts of the race, involving the use of specific process goals
- Process goals are concerned with improvements in technique, e.g. a swimmer improving their arm action and start technique using training drills and practice methods, so that a better performance can be achieved
- Goals set by a player should include both process and performance goals and not just be focused on the outcome, since if goals are only concerned with the end result, motivation might be lost because the win is perceived as too difficult to achieve. Performance goals reduce anxiety in competition and provide more consistent motivation, while outcome goals focus on gaining a prize and provide a basis for comparison, making them more likely to cause stress if the prize is not gained. Short-term goals provide a means for reassurance
The SMARTER Principle for Effective Goal Setting
According to the National Coaching Foundation, coaches and performers should ensure that goals are set using the SMARTER principle:
- Specific – goals should be clear and precise, perhaps using data, and relevant to improve specific aspects of the performance – e.g. in rugby, improving your defence is too general, whereas improving your left shoulder tackles by making firmer contact is a specific goal
- Measured – some form of assessment should occur to aid motivation, e.g. distances, times or numbers of passes, allowing the performer to see how much progress is being made towards completing the goal
- Achievable – the performer should be able to reach their goal, since reaching targets with a controlled amount of effort improves motivation, self-satisfaction and the willingness to extend the target
- Realistic – the goals should be within reach to promote motivation and sustain effort, yet not so difficult that they are impossible to reach or cause anxiety
- Time-bound – short-term and long-term steps should be clearly defined so that there is a clear deadline for each stage of the goal, allowing player and coach to gauge progress and keep motivation levels high
- Evaluate – the performer and coach should evaluate how and when the goal was achieved so that future attempts at reaching targets can be assessed, considering the methods that worked well and those that were not so successful
- Re-do – if the goal has not been reached, progress is slow, or something could have been done better, the target can be adjusted and attempted again to help ensure success