Chapter 15—Setting Goals: Steps to Success
1. Planning is important only to individuals and not to organizations.
2. A goal is the objective, target, or end result expected from the completion of tasks, activities, or
programs.
3. When organizations and employees are proactive, they look ahead, anticipate problems, and determine
solutions to potential problems before they develop.
4. Setting goals beyond or lower than your abilities is an example of poor planning.
5. Realistic achievers set challenging but attainable goals.
6. Sometimes people procrastinate as a way of rebelling against expectations.
7. All goals in organizations are called official goals.
8. A key to attacking a large task successfully is to divide it into several smaller ones.
9. Employees and first-line supervisors have responsibility for operational goals.
10. Goals that are not written are the most helpful.
11. Goals should be put aside after development and not reviewed until it is time for new goals to be set.
12. Goals should be challenging but attainable.
13. Plans for top management have longer time spans than plans for first-line supervisors.
14. Goals should never be changed.
15. Both organizations and individuals have multiple goals and priorities.
16. Open commitment is important in setting goals.
17. Operative goals are those for which upper management is responsible.
18. People in today’s organizations are too busy to participate in decisions affecting them and would rather
be told what to do.
19. The employee performance appraisal is a measurement of how well an employee is doing on the job.
20. The only thing performance appraisals are used for is to let us know how we are doing.
21. Preparing for the performance appraisal is not recommended.
22. Supervisors generally do not discuss salary issues during the discussion of performance.
23. Goal setting is an attempt to prepare for and predict the future.
24. Goals sometimes conflict.
25. Effective goals are specific.
26. During the performance review, the employee should
a.
Ask questions concerning salary
b.
Listen but not ask questions or make comments
c.
Remain open to suggestions on how to improve performance
27. When setting personal goals, you should
a.
Consider that your goals may have to be coordinated with other people
b.
Set your goals extremely high so that you feel you are accomplishing something
c.
Avoid setting deadlines that may just have to be changed
28. Preferences that should be considered in goal setting are
a.
Security, wealth, independence
b.
Prestige, expertness, happiness
c.
Both answers are correct.
29. When goals conflict, we should
a.
Work harder to ensure that all goals are fully met
b.
Attempt to do some things satisfactorily rather than at the optimum level of performance
c.
Never consider dropping any of our goals
30. In organizations, goals should involve
a.
Participation
b.
Outside consultants
c.
Top management only
31. Operative goals are the responsibility of
a.
Top management
b.
Middle management
c.
First-line supervisors
32. High achieving people
a.
Work best without any feedback whatsoever
b.
Take moderate risks but not long chances
c.
Prefer that others control situations in which they are involved
33. “Putting out brushfires” is a common occurrence in
a.
Reactive management
b.
Proactive management
c.
Reactive and proactive management
34. We have a better chance of making events happen and achieving success if we
a.
Plan
b.
Believe in luck
c.
Trust in fate
35. Official goals are
a.
Specific and a mixture of open-ended and close-ended
b.
Concrete and close-ended
c.
Abstract and open-ended
36. The most helpful goals are
a.
Abstract
b.
Measurable
c.
Indefinite
37. People strive to achieve because
a.
They desire to be the first or best in some activity
b.
They want to stand out or satisfy a curiosity
c.
Both answers are correct.
38. To develop a self-starter attitude
a.
don’t worry about making your goal exciting
b.
leave your planning very general
c.
define a sequence of goals
39. Planning is
a.
An attempt to prepare for and predict the future
b.
Separate from goals and resources
c.
Done only by top management
40. Planning should be
a.
short term and fixed
b.
ongoing and flexible
c.
done only once a year
41. The ____________________ gives the organization information about employees that can be used in
later career decisions, such as raises, promotions, transfers, and terminations.
42. ____________________ goals are goals that are concrete and close-ended and are the responsibility of
first line supervisors and employees.
43. A(n) ____________________ is the objective, target, or end result expected from the completion of
tasks, activities, or programs.
44. ____________________ is the attempt to prepare for and predict the future. It involves goals,
programs, policies, rules, and procedures.
45. A(n) ____________________ is a statement of an organization’s purpose or reason for existing.
46. A(n) ____________________ is the organization‘s overall goal, which links all efforts toward the
vision, stretches and challenges the organization, and has a finish line and timeframe.
47. ____________________ plans show how the organization will use its resources, budgets, and people
to accomplish goals within its mission.
48. ____________________ plans are the day-to-day plans for producing or delivering products and
services.
49. When you are realistic in your planning, goal setting, and risk taking, your success will give you the
self-confidence to take on other and even more challenging activities and become a(n)
____________________.
50. S.M.A.R.T. goals are ____________________, measurable, attainable, realistic, and timely.