It's hard to believe that difficult goals lead to better performance. But Leadership IQ CEO Mark Murphy cites research by psychology professors Edwin Locke and Gary Latham, showing that people who set or are given difficult goals do better than people whose goals sound like "Just do your best."
Difficult goals demand our attention and engage the brain. And with that extra neurological horsepower comes better performance, Murphy explains. But you don't want your goals to be so difficult that you give up, any more than you want to feel so unchallenged that you stop trying.
Setting the "just right" goal
Here's his advice on deciding whether your goals are difficult enough to bring out your highest performance. Ask yourself three questions:
Your past accomplishments should show you how effective difficult goals are. Every significant thing you've achieved, both personally and professionally, required serious work, Murphy notes. The size of the challenge galvanized you to push past the most stubborn roadblocks. You embraced honing your knowledge and learning new skills. You achieved those goals, and you're still proud of them today.
Telling whether your goal is just right is a matter of balance, Murphy explains. You shouldn't feel that it's a breeze and you won't have to learn anything new. Nor should you feel overwhelmed by the amount of new knowledge you'll need.
Scaling goals up - or down
If you are experiencing either reaction, then adjust your goal by 30%. If it's still not right, then change it by another 30%. Increments of 30% work, he counsels because they keep you from going too quickly from easy to impossible, or from impossible to easy.
"When you hit your sweet spot of difficulty you should feel outside your comfort zone - not so far that you are on a bed of nails, but not too comfortable either," he concludes. "You'll know your sweet spot because you've been there before; it's that place where you achieve your absolute best."
Read the full article from Leadership IQ.
