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Learn
You have probably learned a little about a certain subject just by virtue of
gauging your depth in it. In some cases, you might even have read up on the subject a
lot to accurately gauge where you were strong or weak. There is not an existing

survey for every subject, and it is beneficial to learn how you might gauge this or that
area of interest.
The learning facet essentially asks that you build your knowledge base about a
particular topic. As you know, learning has multiple facets, from simply mastering
facts and definitions, to developing knowledge of how you might apply that
knowledge. You will typically want to start with some mastery over facts and
definitions and then build your knowledge base to a more strategic level—that is, be
able to understand when, where, and how you might use those definitions and facts in
principles of management.
Set SMART Goals
The combination of gauging and learning about a topic should permit you to
set some goals related to your focal topic. For example, you want to develop better
team communication skills or better understand change management. While your
goals should reflect the intersection of your own needs and the subject, we do know
that effective goals satisfy certain characteristics. These characteristics—specific,
measurable, aggressive, realistic, and time bound—yield the acronym
[3]
SMART. Here is how to tell if your goals are SMART goals.
Specific
Specific goals are more likely to be achieved than a general goal. To set a
specific goal, you must answer the six “W” questions:
• Who: Who is involved?
• What: What do I want to accomplish?
• Where: At what location?
• When: In what time frame?
• Which: What are the requirements and constraints?
• Why: What specific reasons, purpose, or benefits are there to the
accomplishment of the goal?
[4]
EXAMPLE: A general goal would be, “Get a job as a retail store manager.”
But a specific goal would say, “Identify my development needs in the next three
weeks to become a retail store manager.” “Are You Ready to Be a Great Retail Store
Manager?” provides you with an introductory list of survey questions that might help
you accelerate your progress on this particular goal set.
Are You Ready to Be a Great Retail Store Manager?
The service sector employs more than 80% of the U.S. workforce, and the
position of retail store manager is in increasing demand. Have you already developed
the skills to be a great store manager? Score yourself on each of these 10 people
skills. How close did you get to 100? Identify two areas to develop, and then move on
to two more areas once that goal is achieved.
1. “I challenge employees to set new performance goals.”
Never: 1 Seldom: 3 Often: 5 Regularly: 10
2. “I coach employees to resolve performance problems.”

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