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Article听at a glance听

• Setting concrete goals can backfire by locking people into sub-optimal听ways of working, according to research by Assistant Professor of Marketing Guy听Voichek听

• Making progress towards a goal increases perceived effectiveness of听established听approaches, reducing openness to better alternatives听

• Leaders can counter this bias by building in structured reflection听听

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Targets matter, but so does the means of pursuit听

Every year we make resolutions. Every quarter we set targets. Everywhere we measure progress. Setting concrete goals can motivate people to stay on track towards听becoming healthier,听wealthier听and happier.听But sometimes the听track听we choose听is not the best way to get there and our focus on achievement听can backfire because we undervalue alternative routes.听听

Dr听Voichek鈥檚听paper reveals a surprising way in which听setting听goals can听go wrong. When people听aim for a specific听goal and begin pursuing it via a particular path, early progress inflates the perceived effectiveness of that path, making people less likely to adopt a superior, alternative听route.听听

Progress creates a bias in effectiveness听

Through a series of studies spanning听diverse听areas such听as听health, finance and work, the authors saw a consistent pattern of behaviour. In one study, participants committed to earning a specific amount of money before beginning a task. After making initial progress using one type of task and earning some money, they became less likely to switch to an easier, higher-paying task, compared to participants who did not set a goal before beginning work. Making progress towards a concrete goal led participants to view the听initial听approach听as a more effective way to earn money, and alternative tasks as less effective. As a result, participants with a concrete earning goal听ultimately earned听less than those without a specific goal in mind.听听

Thankfully, there is听a simple way听to overcome this: rather than focusing only on whether your current actions advance your goal, also consider how听different paths听might advance it.听A reminder to consider the advantages of both current and听alternative ways of working mitigated听the听entrenchment听caused听by concrete听goals, one study revealed.听听

Once people made progress, they judged their chosen approach as more effective.

The risk of overly specific targets听

Once progress metrics are embedded into dashboards, performance reviews and incentives, flexibility becomes even harder. Teams that are听鈥渙n target鈥澨齛re rarely encouraged to question how they got there.听Yet markets, technologies and competitive conditions change constantly. The danger is not only听poor goal setting but rigidly sticking to the old methods that have worked in the past for听acquiring听those targets.听

What can business leaders take from this?听

Organisations often become more rigid than the people that create them.听It's听a powerful tendency: when we are satisfied with how things are going, we听don鈥檛听question our methods.听听

This research adds an important dimension to our understanding of how concrete goals can produce entrenchment. 听听

How听organisations can听counteract this:听

• Institutionalise reflection:听Build in regular checkpoints that require teams to explicitly evaluate alternative ways of achieving their goals. Instruct employees to ask not only听whether they are on track, but whether they are on听the听best听track.听

• Reward course correction:听Incentivise employees to change direction when doing so makes sense, rather than implicitly reward听persistence for its own sake. Consistency should not be confused with efficiency.听

• Maintain high-level goals:听remind people that most goals can be pursued in multiple ways, and that any given method is a means听鈥撎齨ot an听end.听