Suppose that the Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at

Suppose that the Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at Lewis University is a big fan of SMART goals to motivate professors and decides to use that approach with the instructors in the Organizational Leadership (MAOL) program. The University\'s main overall objective is excellence in student learning, so she attempts to create three SMART goals that would apply to the MAOL faculty to contribute to the University\'s overall objective:

Teach eight overall courses and at least three different courses each school year.

Grade and provide feedback to students on all assignments within 48 hours of submission.

Ensure that students understand key concepts related to leading others in each course taught.

Given the scenario above, answer the following questions in your initial post:

Are each of the goals described above SMART goals? Explain.

To what extent do you believe these goals would be helpful in motivating professors teaching leadership in a Masters program? What might be the impact on intrinsic motivation? Employee engagement?

What do you see as the challenges involved in using goal-setting as a motivational tool in situations like this?

What other SMART goals (if any) would you set for the professors if you were the Dean, and why?

Solution

The first goal is “Achievable” – which can be achieved easily and is not above or below the standard.

The Second goal is “Measurable”- It can easily track the performance of the students, and can easily figure out how much and how many goals are accomplished.

The Third goal is “Realistic” (result oriented) as it is focused to measure the outcomes.

2. The goals will keep the professors focused on the area/subjects in which they have to excel their students and will also help them to timely track the performance of the students and ensure whether they are meeting the outcomes or not. These goals will help them to control the deviation of students from their goal and outcomes.

Intrinsic motivation is basically the activity or task one enjoy themselves by performing it. The Professors will develop intrinsic motivation when they will see the positive outcomes and excellent measureable results of their students due to their hard work, guidance and contribution. They will be motivated to carry on further tasks and goals frequently.

Employee engagement is basically a work place approach in which all the members of the organisation give their best contribution for the success of organisation. Here the professors will be motivated positively to contribute their best as the goal is specific, measurable, realistic and timely. This provides them a clear path and understanding what they have to perform, how they have to perform and how to have to evaluate the performance.

3. The biggest challenge here is the “the risk of acceptance” from both the sides, professors and the students. As the goals are set for the students of Master level, but at this level the students are mature enough to think and decide how they have to accomplish their task and goal and what result they have to achieve. Giving specific, timely goals can demotivate them as every student has their own way of performance. The same condition goes with Professors because at this level every Professor has their own way to deliver lectures and measure the success of the students. Binding them to specific goals will discourage and demotivate them.

4. Other specific goal can be suggested to the Professors is :

These goals will give equal chance to every student to score their best because some students may be best in presentation and some may be in home assignments.