From the Ask Tom mailbag:
Question:
You have been talking about the four elements of success. How does a goal figure in to success?
Response:
All behavior is goal directed behavior. If, as a Manager, you want to understand the behavior, find the goal that’s driving the behavior.
But the impact of the goal on the intensity of the behavior still has to do with interest (passion). We have interest only in those things that we value, which is why values are so important.
The reason why the values discussion is so important is to determine what will light up the interest (passion) of an individual and is that interest aligned with the goals of the organization.
If you have alignment of interest and goals, you will not have issues related to motivation. Without that alignment, the goal is meaningless and will not drive behavior. -TF
Interesting, I have not yet been within an organisation where values discussion on a personal level was discussed with meaning. My MBA HR teacher taught me the values of alignment with personal and organisational goals, where possible I utilised this within the staff induction process with success.
Unfortunately in my current position, some senior executives are being consumed by their own agendas and destroying the work of the front lines, and ultimately, the vision of the organisation.
You point out the problem with MBA programs. Most are delivered in the environment of case study because that is all you can do in the classroom. Once you get to the front lines, things seem to change and most of the learning goes out the window. Nevertheless, the values discussion is critical to establish the relationship between company and individual alignment.