Business
owners and employees generally fall into one of two categories when it
comes to setting business goals, some are motivated by the task itself,
and others find motivation in achieving goals.
Why understanding the difference is incredibly important.
Task orientated goals and being goal orientated is a complex issue in a lot of fields but especially in business and psychology.
Knowing which camp you fit into can help you get more from your day to day actions/activities.
Some
studies suggest that it is more favourable to have a more
goal-orientated approach because this approach increases the chances of
success. Other research suggests that task orientation makes people more
fulfilled and happier. Some say the difference between a goal and task
orientated mindset is the difference between a Manager and an Employee.
Employee's tending to be more task-based and managers more goal-based.
It's
good to have an understanding of both to be successful. Neither exists
without the other. For example, having a goal-orientated mindset/vision
of how something needs to be done is a completely different mindset to
implementing specific tasks that help accomplish that vision.
Tasks and goal-based concepts come into play when we look at what
we do and why we do it in both work and business. For example, have you
ever been doing something at work and it bores you. You could be paid
handsomely for it, but no matter how often you do it, it gets more and
more boring. Even if you're good at it?
Sometimes this feeling
comes from an unknowing or separation from how significant your work is
to the grand scheme of things (the end goal).
Outcome goals or a goal-orientated approach focuses on what we
are trying to achieve, while task-oriented goals are more focused on
what actually enables us to accomplish those outcome goals. We all want
to accomplish our business goals and objectives, but we must also keep
in mind that the accomplishment of these goals is contingent on doing
specific tasks exceptionally well. Sometimes you need to learn to focus
on the task at hand and spend a lot of time refining them.
In
business, it's all about balance, a balanced approach with clear
communication. For example, if you're a manager, you must understand
that people need to be given room to choose some of their tasks, ones
they feel will benefit them on a day-to-day basis at work.
However, at the same time, they should be made aware of the goal, so they understand how the tasks work to the sum of all parts.
No matter what happens, clear communication is the most important
thing. Both the goal and task orientated individuals must be on the
same page and understand the bigger vision. They both require a common
goal to fuel the motivation for anything to get done. There needs to be
an understanding of what is needed and how it can be achieved.
A
good coach and, or leader will provide the motivation that will help
empower others to perform at their very best. A good delegate/student is
someone who is empowered enough to want to put the work in, sometimes
even when there is little or no extrinsic reward.
So which one do you fit into?
Maybe you're more goal-based, or task-based or even a mixture of the two…
Remember neither is either better or worst – both have value in their own right.