Instructors: Talk to your students about setting personal learning goals in your business communication course, referring to our article Set Goals, Improve Focus as a starting point. Then ask students to commit their goals to paper using the BizComBuzz downloadable assignment at the end of this post. Return to the goals mid-way through the term and again at the end so that students can adjust their action plans and measure their progress.
Setting specific and measurable goals is the best way to assure you will improve areas of weakness or attain important knowledge. Goals are best when they meet SMART criteria:
Specific: Goal is clearly stated
Measurable: Goal includes ways to measure success
Achievable: Actions to meet goal are realistic and attainable within the set time frame
Relevant: Goal states how it will improve your academic and workplace career
Timeframe: Goal attainment has specific completion date
Example of ineffective goal attainment plan
| Goal | Action Plan | Resources | Completion Date |
| Learn about commas (goal is not specific or measurable; does not explain how it will improve academic and future career) | Look up comma rules while I write assignments (plan lacks specific actions that will net results)
|
Google searches
(non-specific; may yield questionable resources; provides no learning activities)
|
By end of term
(not naming a specific date hinders motivation to complete the task) |
Example of effective goal attainment plan
| Goal | Action Plan | Resources | Completion Date |
| Apply all comma usage rules correctly on business communication assignments to improve my grades and help my prose be professional | 1. Review comma rules
2. Complete practice worksheets 3. Create “cheat sheet” to use when writing
|
1. Course textbook
2. Campus writing center |
November 30, 2021 |
Your task. Choose 4-5 SMART goals specific to business communication to work toward this term. Goals you may choose to pursue can involve improving grammar and usage (i.e. Learn how to use commas) or specific genres (Learn to create effective résumé). Use the table your instructor provides to commit your goals to paper.
