Before you start developing objectives for a sports administration system, you need to study the following two definitions that show the difference between a goal and objectives. They are as follows:
- A goal is an end toward which you direct some specific effort. A goal is what needs to be achieved – what does the sporting organisation expect the outcome of the department’s action to be? That outcome must be measurable, i.e. how will you know that you have achieved the outcome?
There is usually a time frame attached to a goal answering the question:
When do I need to achieve the outcome by?” when considering a goal, you also need to consider the cost, i.e. is the cost within the agreed budget.
What are goals dictated by?
Goals are dictated by the strategy of an organisation. To achieve these goals, you need to set up objectives:
- Objectives are tactics you use to reach and achieve goals. They must be complementary to the purpose and the mission. Objectives are the step that we take to reach a goal. For targets to be meaningful, they must be defied, understood and accepted by each individual who will be involved in achieving them.
To ensure all the elements of a well-defined objective are included, you need to think ‘SMART’. That means that each aim is to:
Specific
Means detailed, particular or focused. Everyone knows exactly what needs to be achieved and accomplished and all details are spelled out. Specifying the expected result is the first step towards creating a ‘SMART’ objective.
Measurable
Means that each goal must be measurable; it must have a method of indicating when the goal has been reached.
Action-oriented
Means that the goal indicates an activity, performance, operation or something that produces results. They tell what needs to be done to achieve your objectives.thi action is indicated by the use of an action verb such as evaluate, appraise, inform or investigate.
Realistic
Means that the objective is practical, achievable and possible. It must motivate people to improve and to reach for attainable ends. Remember that objectives which are impossible to attain demotivate people and defeat the object. Goals must also not be too easy. So, the realistic aim is one that is a balance between being hard – requiring a person to stretch their abilities – and being easy to achieve.
Time- and resource-constrained
Means scheduled; regulated by time and resources to be expended; they give a fixed duration to the action allowed – a deadline. These objectives, therefore, encourage action to get activities completed.
Finally, each objective must contain resource limits to ensure that there is a practical cost/benefit relationship to goal achievement. The goal that has each of these elements will provide an excellent basis for setting targets, monitoring progress and achieving your objectives.
How to develop your objectives
Before exploring how you, the sports administrator, would go about developing your objectives, it would be helpful to understand what types of goals you might have to consider.
Objectives may be categorised as:
- Essential
- Problem-solving
- Innovative
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Essential
An essential objective identifies everyday activities that need improvement. This improvement would be necessary to ensure successful results. They are recurring, ongoing, repetitious and significant activities of a business. They can be found in your area of responsibility. You need to assess the tasks you are responsible for to under those elements that must be dealt with regularly.
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Problem-solving
Problem-solving objectives identify a current problem or opportunity. It is a statement of a current and/or future situation once a solution is implemented. These objectives outline the activities necessary to improve performance. They are essential for enhancing operational effectivity but may not be determined if not accomplished.
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Innovative
These objective improve the current condition. They are not problems but the result of thinking about making something even better. They identify activities that can be done better, faster or cheaper. These goals are sometimes the more pleasurable they are to create because they represent dreams more than needs.
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