The following is Tom Osborne speaking of how they redefined goal setting at Nebraska. I took this from "Championship Performance," a newsletter that I subscribe to and that I greatly enjoy. For more information on Championship Performance go to: www.championshipperform.comGoals create a sense of focus and direction. A team without goals often is interested only in getting the season over with. There is no excitement or anticipation. A team with a strong desire to achieve specific goals generate a sense of purpose, mission and energy.
Until the early 1990s, our team goals were generally set by the coaching staff. We assumed that the coaches knew better than the players what our team was capable of accomplishing and what our priorities should be. After three consecutive disappointing seasons from 1989 to 1991, I decided that major adjustments were necessary. It wasn't so much that our record was bad in those seasons; we finished 10-2 in 1989, and won nine games in each of the 1990 and 1991 seasons. The disturbing things was the we tailed off at the end of each season and did not display the drive and focus in bowl games that we needed.
In 1992, in an effort to have the players take ownership of their objectives, we let the players set team goals. As the season began, we asked each player to list in order of importance five goals he felt were critical to the success of the team. We then complied the goals listed and ranked them according to the frequency each goal was mentioned.
This discussion of goals relates to most organizations involved in competitive endeavors. The objectives and approaches presented may serve as a model for incorporating both long-term and short-term goals.
