Difference between Goals vs Objectives

Difference between Goals vs Objectives

  

  • hrutuja
    HRUTUJA PATKAR
    182 pts
    Rising Star


    Still Can't Differentiate Between Goals And Objectives?

    Often people misunderstand the terms goals and objectives. Or there are some who use them both interchangeably. People confuse between them both too much. And it also doesn’t matter what age or profession that person belongs to; they are still going to use these terms incorrectly.

    Even a person or people in a business team are found to have made this mistake, and it is absurd. Goal and aim are the first things they need to know. It is the foremost thing expected of them.

    “Whenever you want to achieve something, keep your eyes open, concentrate and make sure you know exactly what it is you want. No one can hit their target with their eyes closed.” Paulo Coelho

    So, let us understand what is actually a goal and an aim to understand the difference.

    What Does Goal and Objective Mean & What Is The Difference Between Objective And Goals?

    If I put it simply, then the goal is the final checkpoint where you want to end up. Whatever destination you had in mind where you want to reach defines your goal.

    Whereas the set of actions or strategies you take to achieve that goal is defined as the aim.

    So, you can say that an objective is a part of every goal.

    I have put it in a very general way; thus, this definition can be applied to any situation. But the most common use of these terms is in the business world.

    In business terms, a goal is the ultimate target the business or the organization wants to achieve. The final anticipated position or status the business or the organization wants to achieve in the future is their goals.

    For, e.g., they anticipate getting themselves listed in the top five companies of their field in a given number of years. This can be described as a goal for them. The strategies or actions they will adapt to achieve those goals will be described as their objectives.

    This definition applies to every aspect of life.

    “If you have a dream, don’t just sit there. Gather courage to believe that you can succeed and leave no stone unturned to make it a reality.” Dr Roopleen

    Goals and objectives are closely related. Objectives are the means to get to our goals. Hence, it is important for a person to know the difference between a goal and an aim, especially for people associated with a business.

    The team members or the employees must be able to differentiate between goals and objectives in order for the organization to stay focused on their aim and for them to work in unison.

    Now that we have had a look at the definitions of goal and objective and also had a brief understanding of what they mean let us know about them in more detail.

    The below points will help you understand the difference between goals and objectives much better.

    Points To Differ Goals And Objectives

    Tasks & Sub-Tasks

    The goal is the ultimate task you want to achieve and succeed in. As mentioned, they are the ultimate destination you desire to be. Goals are the bigger picture, the ultimate task you need to attain and fulfill.

    Objectives are, however, the steps you will take to fulfill that. It will act more like the path towards the attainment of that goal. The strategies we use or the actions taken in the same respect will meet the objectives for the fulfillment of the goals. Thus you can say that the objectives are the sub-tasks that will be helpful in the achievement of the goals.

    “Focus on your goals, not your fear. Focus like a laser beam on your goals.” Roy T. Bennett

    For instance, you want to own a big house and travel to places. This will be your goal. In order to achieve that, you will need a lot of money. That means you will need to be financially independent. And to be financially independent, you need to make money through a job or a business.

    So, since owning a house will be the goal, getting a job and earning money will be your objective that will help you achieve the goal. You can adjust or change the objectives as per your goals.

    If you are aiming to own a small house, you will be okay with a job that will pay comparatively lesser. But in order to own a larger or bigger house. Get a job that pays handsomely or opt to have a more successful and profit-making business.

    Broader & Narrower

    Goals are generally of vast nature. They are broader in terms of the work it needs to be undertaken.

    For example, let’s say you want to become one of the top sportspersons. This statement is way broader, and a bit loose in nature. It is one thing that you want to become a sports person, but then you need to decide what sports you are going to participate in. Becoming a sportsperson is your goal here.

    “To dream of success is to set a goal of where you want to be; to wake up, take action, and achieve it is what true success is all about.” Idowu Koyenikan

    Then you need to achieve that goal. You need to get yourself enrolled in it. You then have to find a person who can train you in sports. You need to take part in the sports competition and keep on making yourself better and better at it. All these strategies that you will take will be examples of objectives.

    Did you notice objectives are much narrower than the goal? Getting enrolled, training yourself, taking part in competitions, etc. They were definite sets of tasks in the goal's achievement.

    Long Term & Short Term

    Before the above point, goals are broader in nature. Therefore, it is quite obvious that it will take a long time to achieve. Goals are also constant.

    If we take the same example as the above, becoming a sportsperson was the goal. It will undoubtedly take longer to achieve. The person has to go through training and competitions for excruciating long years to come. He/she cannot be a sportsperson in just one night. The goal will take years to get accomplished.

    Whereas the objectives in the above example are time-specific. Pay attention to the objectives in the above example. Enrolling in sports, getting trained, and taking part in competitions. These are for a specific period. It may take longer, but it won’t be as long as the goals. So in comparison, the objectives are going to be more for the short-time than goals.

    “People are not lazy, they simply have impotent goals..that is..goals that do not inspire them.” Anthony Robbins

    While the time required to achieve a goal may also differ. Some goals are going to take longer than others to get accomplished. Some goals are completed in a short time, like 2-3 years, while others take longer than that.

    But either way, it will still be longer in terms of the time required to achieve an aim.

    Measurable & Non-Measurable

    Goals are non-measurable since they will be long-term. Whereas objectives have a higher chance of being measurable.

    If we are to take a look at an example, it is more understandable. For instance, an organization wants to increase awareness about its product. This is their goal. But they cannot measure it since it is going to take longer to accomplish it. Things are more or less unpredictable for it.

    “Great goals make great people. People cannot hit what they do not aim for.” Roy T. Bennett

    But they then focus on the objective of achieving it. It will be to increase advertising and promotions to make people aware of the product. It is estimated to increase up to 10 percent of the sales in a given period or number of months.

    Similarly, the cost of advertising is also estimated to increase their capital by 20%. Thus, objectives or the aspects of objectives are measurable or at least can be estimated.

    Generic & Specific

    Goals are, as mentioned before, loose statements. We just have a predicted idea or desire for the future. Where we want to go or what we want to achieve in the coming years of our lives. We are just making a sort of imaginary outline for the future. But we do not know how we are going to make it possible.

    Objectives, however, are more specific. They are the strategies and actions we plan and act upon. So they need to be more precise. We cannot make the goal if we do not even see where the football is.

    Cultivate the habit of setting clearly-defined written goals; they are the road maps that guide you to your destination.” Roy T. Bennett

    The same logic applies to objectives. We need to have a precise idea of what is needed to be done in order to achieve the goal. So objectives need to be pre-defined.

    Independent & Dependent

    Goals are independent in nature as well. They do not need to be decided or defined as per the objectives.

    But it is the opposite for objectives. Since objectives are the route to the achievement of goals, what they will be are completely dependent on what the goals are. Objectives will be defined, presumed, or decided upon by the goals for which they are planned out.

    Thus, this makes objectives dependent on goals. You can change objectives if the goal is changed, but the reverse will not happen. Goals will not be changed on the basis of the objectives.

    “It must be borne in mind that the tragedy of life doesn’t lie in not reaching your goal. The tragedy lies in having no goals to reach.” — Benjamin E. Mays

    Boundness

    This point further explains the above point. Goals are not bound to objectives, but objectives are definitely bound to goals. This is because the objectives keep on changing as per the change in goals, but goals will never change on the basis of the objective.

    As mentioned in the above point, objectives are dependent on the goals. That means, in other words, they are bound to goals. Their existence is based on the goal itself.

    Contrary to it, goals are free and independent of it. It would make no difference in the overall goals if we were to change the objective (up to some extent). But the objective will be changed completely based on the goals.

    “Becoming a star may not be your destiny, but being the best you can be is a goal that you can set for yourself.” — Brian Lindsay

    The End Result & Means For The End Result

    Goals are the ultimate destination; thus, they are the end results of all the actions. Objectives are those means that will make way to reach that end result.

    This is the most important point that makes the whole difference between objectives and goals crystal clear. Objectives are a part of the goals and not the other way around.

    We make objectives in order to achieve the goals which we have decided for a long time. Objectives are shortly achieved, and it leads to the achievement of the goals. Every objective will act as a stepping stone in the achievement of our final aim or goal.

    “Goals are not only absolutely necessary to motivate us. They are essential to really keep us alive.” — Robert H. Schuller

    Conclusion

    Goals and objectives can be considered as two sides of the coin. Maybe, therefore, people are often confused and use them interchangeably. Besides the above-mentioned differences, there is also a difference that separates them.

    This is that the goal is of different types. Education goals, life goals, career goals, physical goals, mental goals, relationship goals, personal development goals, etc. And since objectives are dependent on the goals and actually a part of it, they keep on changing as per the change in the goals.

    Goals are the direction that helps guide us to achieve our targets. Proper goals allow us to walk the right path towards our targets. Both goals and objectives are important to achieve our targets and to be on the right path towards it.

    Goals and objectives provide us with an extremely supreme thing for our lives, and that is a purpose. Without it, our lives are just meaningless. Every person needs to have these two in their lives in order to achieve a place in society and be recognized.

    “The victory of success is half won when one gains the habit of setting goals and achieving them.” — Og Mandino

    Besides, apart from this, goals and objectives help us gain the future we desire for and the achievement of dreams. Goals are the tracker for your journey towards your destiny. Even if you need to sacrifice things in your journey towards your target, you will emerge as the winner in the end.

    If we simply put everything, then goals are the final destination, and objectives are the small paths we take to reach that destination. The goal is where you want to be, and the steps taken for that are objective. Even if everyone’s goal may differ, but they all will have a goal in their lives. There also can be more than one goal in someone’s life.

    Hopefully, this article has helped you understand the meaning and difference between both goals and objectives. And from now on, you have a better understanding of these terms and use them appropriately.


Post Your Opinion

Maximum 0/500 words