Freddie needs to set goals for his team of real estate agents. Freddie wants the goals to improve task performance for his team. Use Freddie's situation to identify and explain the factors that alter the effects of goal setting on task performance.

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

Student answers will vary but should demonstrate understanding of the factors that impact the effects of goal setting on task performance. A sample answer follows.

Goal setting theory views goals as the primary drivers of the intensity and persistence of effort. Goals are defined as the objective or aim of an action and typically refer to attaining a specific standard of proficiency, often within a specified time limit. More specifically, the theory argues that assigning employees specific and difficult goals will result in higher levels of performance than assigning no goals, easy goals, or "do-your-best" goals. The assignment of a specific and difficult goal shapes people's own self-set goals-the internalized goals that people use to monitor their own task progress. In the absence of an assigned goal, employees may not even consider what their own goals are, or they may self-set relatively easy goals that they are certain to meet. As a self-set goal becomes more difficult, the intensity of effort increases, and the persistence of effort gets extended. However, goals have another effect; they trigger the creation of task strategies, defined as learning plans and problem-solving approaches used to achieve successful performance. In the absence of a goal, it is easy to rely on trial and error to figure out how best to do a task. Under the pressure of a measuring stick, however, it becomes more effective to plan out the next move. Put differently, goals can motivate employees to work both harder and smarter.

Freddie should make sure to set team goals that are difficult and specific, and he should set a timeline for achieving them. This will increase the performance required for the goals his team will set for themselves as well, forcing them to challenge themselves more and take more creative approaches to problems. Freddie could set a goal for listings and sales within a timeframe, such as a month or six weeks. He should tell the agents exactly how many listings they should aim for. The goal should be a bit higher than what they typically achieve.