The Role of Goal-Setting and Action Plans in Leadership Effectiveness in Nigerian Higher Educational Institutions

Abstract

Every organisation, worldover, has contributed to witness changes in technology, demand patterns, socio-political circumstances, customer tastes and so on. This includes the tertiary institution in general and the polytechnics in particular. With the globalisation of products and market, it becomes compulsory for institutions charged with the responsibility of developing specialised and critical mass of human capital to seek ways of responding quickly to these changing needs. Some of which are the adoption of modern management skills for planning long-range progress. This effective goal-setting and action planning in higher educational institutions through the conceptualization of mission and vision statements for the organisation where they do not exist, the reduction of every job type to specific duties and responsibilities in order to determine level and standards of performance for each; establishing performance indicators; simplifying targets to measurable, attainable, realistic and time-bound (SMART); conduct self evaluation even before they are appraised by their supervisors among others. Also suggested is the need for equitable reward system, the conduct of a review of the corporate values as well as the desired employee behaviours and work ethics when there are obvious reasons to do so.



Nigerian Journal of Clinical and Counselling Psychology Vol.8(1) 2002: 77-103