It's been said that in the absence of clearly defined goals, we become strangely loyal to performing daily acts of trivia.

A colleague invigorated by a recent sales-related conference anticipated such distractions upon return to the workplace: "We need to call on customers, reply to e-mail, perform daily office functions, and so on . . . all of those daily events we feel we have to do." Then he added, "What we learned last week will hopefully change some of that thinking though. We now can start to look beyond the daily tasks and work toward understanding our customers' real needs."

Goal setting is a lifeline for anyone lost in the sea of minutia -- be it mountains of administrative requirements, relentless paperwork to be addressed, or routine phone calls to be made. Be forewarned, though, that "goal" can have a variety of meanings.

Here are four distinctly different uses for the word "goal." Read them all and then select the one that, in your estimation, most accurately describes a goal:

• Goal as target
  According to this use, setting goals is not an exact science. In fact, we obtain the best possible data and information, acquire the most accurate demographics, review the results of previous years, and make projections (ensuring they are communicated to all). After all such criteria are analyzed, the resulting number becomes the target.



• Goal as mandatory
  Goals are mandatory and it is our responsibility to find a way to realize them. The goals that we've set are what we will achieve -- coming close is not satisfactory. This definition implies a lack of concern with what the competitor is accomplishing in the market, and is instead based on personal capabilities.



• Goal as guideline
  A goal is simply a guideline for all to incorporate on the company's path to productivity, and is built into each individual's planning process. Goals are broad parameters used to track productivity. They are sufficiently sweeping and general in nature to provide direction to many, allowing for flexible approaches toward their accomplishment. Progress towards desirable results is encouraged.



• Goal as something the company would like me to hit!
  Based on the assumption that workers are unable to formulate their own goals since they are not aware of the complexities of the business, goal setting in this use is external. The "company" establishes objectives since it alone is privy to the required return-on-investment or return-on-asset criteria. For the individual, goals are "something the company would like me to hit."
  
  General target? Mandatory end? Broad guideline or company-defined objective? Which use gets your vote for most sensible?
  
  We at Beveridge Consulting believe that goals are mandatory. Let us illustrate:
  
  The next time you board an airplane for a vacation or business trip, lean into the cockpit. The pilot you see is likely to be checking flight plans, weather reports, and referring to his or her gauges. Ask the pilot how he or she feels about flying that airplane safely to your destination.
  
  Is arriving safely simply the pilot's target? If so, he may pledge to do his best to use information believed to be reliable to get you landed in one piece. "But flight is not a precise science," he might remind you, "the inexactitudes of which admit dangers and accidents, but that doesn't mean we won't at least aim for a good ride."
  
  Is a safe, accident-free flight a mere guideline for flight procedures? The pilot trained with the goals as guidelines perspective might find the airline's broad directive to all pilots commandeering all sizes and kinds of craft, to generally "land the plane safely", dangerously non-specific and useless.
  
  Does the pilot see safe flight as no more than an external expectation of his employer . . . or does he personally share interest in achieving the same? If hazard-free flight and secure landing are no more than the desire of the pilot's employer, perhaps you'd join us in securing a parachute and disembarking immediately.
  
  The pilot must reply that the goal of arriving safely is no less than essential. Professional pilots believe they must land that plan safely one hundred percent of the time! Likewise, promotable professionals and successful business-persons must embrace goals as mandatory. Nothing less than one hundred percent of goal achievement is acceptable to any business professional hoping to accomplish, excel and get ahead in business.
  
  Through training, education, retraining and years of practice, promotable people transfer their knowledge into workable, professional skills, often through the use of goal setting and goal realization. They want to reach their goals, and they regard goals as mandatory to their success.