Setting specific goals leads to higher performance than encouraging people to do their best.
Credit to Google images</sub>
The image of the bullseye represents the setting of a specific goal, which results in higher performance than being told to do one’s best.
Credit to Google images</sub>
Hal Higdon, a former professional runner and a long-time contributor to Runner’s World magazine, is famous for his marathon training plans (pictured above) which provide specific running goals for people training to run a marathon.
There is strong evidence to support the effectiveness of setting specific goals. Locke and Latham write:
“We found that specific, difficult goals consistently led to higher performance than urging people to do their best. The effect sizes in meta-analyses ranged from .42 to .80 [1]. In short, when people are asked to do their best, they do not do so.”
Reference [1] Locke, E. A., & Latham, G. P. (2002). Building a practically useful theory of goal setting and task motivation: A 35-year odyssey. American psychologist, 57(9), 705.
