The Journey
         A newsletter for Phi Theta Kappa chapter advisors, chapter officers, and regional officers.  

Leadership Lessons
      Go for the Goals

Many great ideas are never tested because of lack of direction and purpose. Most Phi Theta Kappa chapters start the year with a list of desires and aspirations, but aren't sure how to turn dreams into reality.

Turning ideas into reality is the focus of the article, "Goal-Setting: Developing a Program and Making It Work," in Unit Three of the Phi Theta Kappa Leadership Development Studies text. Gregory Petrosky and A. Craig Fisher point out that, "without a specific goal or standard, the team's objectives tend to be vague as they are not exactly sure what they are striving to achieve." When goals are established, the team members know precisely what they have to accomplish.

According to Petrosky and Fisher, "Specific and challenging goals lead to better performance than do easy to achieve goals." Having a specific goal helps chapter members focus attention and concentrate harder to produce the desired end. Without goals we often waste precious time and energy trying to decide what to do next.

Petrosky and Fisher offer six guidelines for selecting goals. Effective goals should be:

Conceivable.  Chapter officers and members should be able to see the successful outcome, hear the sounds of victory and feel the satisfaction associated with both goal attainment and the hard work that led to it. Hold a brainstorming session with your chapter officers and members, then write down the goals your chapter would like to achieve for the year. Writing goals down helps reduce confusion and gives them more force. Set priorities to help the chapter team avoid feeling overwhelmed by too many goals.

Controllable. Make sure goals lie within the chapter's area of control. It can be disheartening to fail to achieve a goal for reasons beyond your control.

Measureable. State goals in terms of time and quantity. When setting goals, you may wish to establish a timeline for completion of chapter projects. Tying a specific completion time to a goal along with specific individual accountability can help keep chapter members focused.

Achievable. Consider whether your chapter will have the funds, manpower, time, etc. to achieve the goal. The world is full of reality checks, so avoid setting unrealistic goals. For example, in order for your chapter to reach a certain Five-Star Chapter Development level or win a certain Hallmark Award, you must set goals early in the school year. Don't wait until the deadline to try to assemble a winning package.

Believable. If chapter members do not believe in their goals, they are not likely to achieve them.

Desirable.  Chapter officers and members must have confidence in the worth of their goals. Your chapter team will not strive for a goal that is not deemed valuable, even if it is something they might be capable of achieving.

Once goals have been selected, the chapter will need a propelling force to complete its objectives. According to Petrosky and Fisher, commitment can serve as that force if it has the components of persistence, effort and patience (PEP).

Chapter members must be relentless in their pursuit of their goals. Making the pursuit enjoyable can make the process easier.

Each chapter officer team dreams of having a group of members who are willing to put forth the effort and go the extra mile in order to succeed.

Patience plays an important role in goal-setting because chapter officers and members will often be faced with obstacles in the pursuit of their goals. Petrosky and Fisher point out that failure can be a learning experience.

Throughout the goal-setting process, the chapter team will become more aware of its strengths and weaknesses and learn to seek out improvement. Each person will also learn to set realistic goals, develop strategies for goal attainment and commit themselves to the realization of their goals.

Effective goal-setting will not only help chapter officers and members realize their full potential, it will enable them to have a good time throughout the process. And, most people agree - success is fun!

Phi Theta Kappa International Honor Society
Center for Excellence
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Jackson, MS  39211
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