BUSINESSES ARE MADE UP of a wide variety of individuals, each of whom comes into the workplace each day with their own motivations. When personal goals are aligned with those of the broader organization, great things can happen. When there is misalignment, however, the opposite is true.
That’s according to Gary Latham, Secretary of State Professor of Organizational Behaviour at the Rotman School of Management. Prof. Latham has dedicated his career to studying goal-setting and performance. Based on his research, when self-set goals are aligned with assigned goals, individual performance improves. “Without such alignment, personal goals have a detrimental effect on a group’s performance.”
Latham believes four strategies will ensure a mutually beneficial relationship between your personal ambitions and your organization’s objectives.
STRATEGY 1: CHOOSE YOUR EMPLOYER WISELY. Aligning your personal goals with those of your organization starts before the first day on the job. During the recruiting and selection process, Latham says it’s important to seek out roles that speak to your personal ambitions, and for employers to use the interview process to weed out anyone who doesn’t share the organization’s mission and values.
Many job postings now include statements about the organization’s goals and values to help prospective employees determine if they align with their own, and Latham encourages candidates to ask about those ambitions during the
