Ans: In order for an individual to understand what is expected from him/her he/she should be provided goals. Goals help the individual understand what is expected from him/her. Goals also help the individual make a plan of how to go about achieving the specified target. Without goals, the employee would simply be performing tasks in a routine manner. With goals the employee can work towards a target, and have a sense of achievement when the goals are met. In this manner goals help facilitate high performance.

Ans: General goals are as good as no goals, as they do not allow an individual to plan his/her work. Indeed, it is said that no goals are better than general goals. So, for example telling an individual to do his/her best or asking an individual to increase sales does not give them enough information to plan how to go about achieving the goals instead we should ask the individual to increase sales by a specific percentage, say five percent over current numbers. This allows the individuals to understand specifically what he/she needs to achieve the new targets.

Ans: One mechanism of goal setting that has been found to work very well has been termed SMART goals. In this model the goals are required to specific (S), measurable (M), attainable (A), relevant (R), and time bound (T). This model works quite well because it tells the individuals what he/she is supposed to do, how he/she will be evaluated, by when the job needs to be completed, and also ensures that the goals are realistic and related to his/her overall jobs