Strategies 189
The Measurement of Goals
Setting a goal carries with it a need to know whether or not progress is being
made or success has been achieved in reaching it. The measurement of what we
intend to achieve is a given condition of its being meaningful as a goal. Absent
some form of determination, the mind boggles over the very meaning of the term.
Perhaps the measurement is difficult or complex or depends on a series of indirect
indicators, but without it, the word “goal” does not seem to be the right one to
describe that to which we aspire. Our movement toward the future through goal-
directed behavior has its own forms of intelligibility, among which is that goals
are determinable.
To suggest that strategic goals must be measurable does not mean that they are
all quantifiable, or if quantifiable, that results are equivalent to objective scien-
tific facts. If, for example, a college intends to develop a program to heighten its
students’ commitment to democratic citizenship, it cannot measure the influ-
ence of its efforts by the strictest canons of scientific cause and effect. Rather, it
will do well to establish a series of indicators, such as involvement in volunteer
service or participation in the political process, that serve as proxies for its goals.
Although interviews and questionnaires are always limited by their subjective
nature, a systematic use of student self-assessments can provide reliable informa-
tion about experiences related to civic values and responsibilities. As we shall see
in a subsequent chapter, the ability to implement strategic goals depends heavily
on their being subject to assessment.
Nor does the measurement of goals suggest that they must be mechanistic and
inflexible. In the context of strategic leadership, they reflect the larger possibilities
of the organization and connect to the drama of its story. Goals represent ways
of testing the validity of the strategy they are intended to enact. If problems are
found in reaching goals, there is much to be learned from the failure and the
frustration of the effort. The problems may lie in tactics that can be changed or
adjusted, or the difficulties may be deeper and reveal weaknesses in the strategy
itself. Perhaps the goal was poorly crafted, and its intent is being fulfilled in other
ways. Whatever the problem, the measurement of goals produces invaluable forms
of learning for the ongoing work of strategy.
Effective Goal Setting
Even when goals are easily and relevantly quantifiable, many institutions do
not seize the opportunity to develop effective measures. One often encounters
vague goals in planning documents, such as this one from a small southern col-
lege: “Increase the proportion of alumni participation in the annual fund.” After
careful study and definition of the strategic intent of the goal and the opera-
tional issues it involves have been conducted, it makes eminent sense to define a
specific level of alumni participation as a goal. In doing so, the organization ben-
efits in a number of ways. It is forced to examine the strengths and weaknesses