Goals and Outcomes

You've completed a self-assessment and have a clear idea of what your strengths are and what areas you could continue to grow in. But what should you do with that information?

A great place to start? Goal setting!

Setting a goal might sound easy, but much like New Year's resolutions, if you don't think intentionally about what you want to achieve and how you want to achieve it, it is likely your motivation will fizzle out.

To help you avoid that pitfall, we're here to explain what exactly goals are, how they are different from outcomes, and how you can effectively create and capitalize on both.

Let's jump in!

Goals and Outcomes

You have a desire to change something: behavior, knowledge, a situation, a policy or procedure... Where should you start?

Start with goal setting!

Easy, right? You're probably thinking, "I can easily set a goal for myself based on something I want to change, and then with some work that goal will eventually be met!"

Let's break that statement down:

I have a goal.
That goal is based on something I want to change.
That change will take some work.
After some work, eventually that change will occur.

You're actually talking about a few things here: your overall goal, your desired outcome, and the steps that you'll need to take to achieve that goal and outcome. While you might think that goals and outcomes are the same thing, the truth is that the journey to achievement starts with a goal and finishes with a desired outcome.¹ The two main differences between goals and desired outcomes are:¹

Goals are general and focus on the big picture, while outcomes are specific and precise.
Goals are usually not measurable, while outcomes are observable and measurable.

Goals and Outcomes
Goals:	Outcomes:
Broad/general Long-term Serve as a foundation for action Usually not measurable	Specific and precise Short-term Include observable and measurable action steps

Need a little more clarification? In the next sections we'll break down both goals and outcomes and guide you through how to set meaningful goals with specific outcomes.

Goals

A goal is a broad statement about the long-term expectation of what should happen as a result of your actions. It serves as the foundation for developing your outcomes. Goals should align with a statement of need. Goals should be only one sentence.²

The characteristics of effective goals are²

Goals address outcomes, not how outcomes will be achieved
Goals describe the behavior or condition expected to change
Goals describe who will be affected by the actions
Goals lead clearly to one or more measurable results
Goals are concise

When you are brainstorming your broad goal statement, you want to think about:

Why this goal?
What do you need to change or do to achieve this goal?
Who is impacted by this goal?
What do you ultimately want to occur because of this goal?

Outcomes

Outcomes describe the results to be achieved and the manner in which they will be achieved. They address change (in behavior, skill, knowledge, level of functioning, situation). Multiple outcomes are generally needed to address a single goal.²

Remember to be S.M.A.R.T.!

Well-written outcomes help set priorities and targets for progress and accountability. A helpful strategy for developing well-written outcome statements is to make them S.M.A.R.T.

S.M.A.R.T. is a helpful acronym for developing outcomes that are:

specific
measurable
achievable
relevant
time-bound

In order to be effective, outcomes should be clear and leave no room for interpretation.²

References

How To Understand The Difference Between Goals And Outcomes
SMART Goals Packet for Strategic Planning (DCF)

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