Goal Analysis by Robert F. Mager

Goal Analysis by Robert F. Mager

Having a goal and reaching the goal are two entirely different subjects. There are many books out there which teach a person how to have goals in their lives. This book tells a person step-by-step how to make goals and reach them. 

Many books talk about goals. This book shows how to write them. The problem with goals is the fact that many words are used which cannot be defined or are “fuzzy” in the words of the author. These “fuzzy” words prevent people from knowing what the goals are. What surprised this reviewer is how often people and organizations use these “fuzzy” words without knowing it. Goals need to contain words which define performances. The author spends time showing the difference (23-41).

Once the “fuzzies” are discovered and changed to performances, the author shares a five-step process to a goal analysis (44-86). This is followed by many examples from a variety of disciplines. Throughout the book, the author invites the reader to interact with the text. There are opportunities to write in the book and do activities to do what the author expects. These activities include: finding fuzzies (27-33), recognizing the differences between performances and abstractions (36-42), making goals describe ends rather than means (47-48), describing performances that a person does not do (62), practicing the steps of goal analysis (103-109), This interaction is necessary because the reviewer will have to do this goal analysis later. As a result, one has practiced before the actual dissertation. 

There is a chapter that deals with what to do after the goal analysis (125-127). In essence, once the goal is analyzed, one can determine which performances are currently working correctly, which of the non-occurring performances are due to skill deficiencies and which are due to other causes, and then one can plot the process on a chart. While this reviewer is familiar with flow charts, it was good to see that they are used in goal analysis. For some, it helps to show the direction using visuals. In addition, the author shared very clearly how one can test whether the goal is being achieved by using charts (128-131). 

The “zone of reason” is a helpful tool to visually help a person achieve their goals. The book ends with an exercise in which the reader is encouraged to write out a conversation with a fictional character (141-150). In this conversation, the author wants the reader to describe to this character how to describe goal analysis. Following this fictional conversation, the author provides his responses to this character. The idea is that if the reader can write out in conversation about how to explain goal analysis with someone else, then the reader has a good grasp of the subject.   

In the process of discovering achievement of a goal, this reader wonders if these five strategies – which help to define step two (49-54) – are comprehensive. Are there more strategies or are these the only strategies?

Chapter Ten is entitled “Surprise Endings.” While I realize that one needs to be flexible when it comes to doing just about anything, I wonder how this helps in goal analysis. In the examples given, the author shows that the goals change because of this goal analysis. His examples (114) seem to make sense (going to the doctor and getting a different diagnosis than expected for example). 

Developing Critical Thinkers by Stephen D. Brookfield, The One Minute Manager by Ken Blanchard, Managing Through People by Dale Carnegie and Associates. All of these books, which are used in the secular world, describe goal analysis in some form.  Transitioning, written by Dan Southerland, has a section that addresses making goals and evaluating goals in order to transition a church. The Purpose Driven Church, written by Rick Warren, describes how to set goals by establishing the purposes of the church and using these purposes to set the goals in which a church should reach.

The process of planting a church (which many books address) consists of sets of goals which must be achieved. For example, Breaking the Missional Code by Ed Stetzer, Churches That Multiply by Elmer Towns and Doug Porter, Seven Steps for Planting Churches by the North American Mission Board, and Starting a New Church by Ralph Moore, all contain chapters that address goal analysis.