L Goal Setting

(goal of least risk)

Goal Setting makes use of the fact that human motivation is the single, strongest contributor to productivity. In Goal Setting, a manager or user simply tells developers what is expected of them.

Because Goal Setting contributes to motivation, developers will generally work hard to achieve a goal of “shortest schedule” (or least risk schedule or most visible progress or whatever the goal is).

The primary obstacle is an unwillingness to define a small, clear set of goals and commit to them for an entire project.

Top 5 Motivation Factors

Efficacy

  • Potential reduction from nominal schedule: None
  • Improvement in progress visibility:  Good
  • Effect on schedule risk:  Decreased Risk
  • Chance of first-time success:  Good
  • Chance of long-term success:  Very Good

Major Risks

  • Significant loss of motivation if goals are changed

Major Interaction and Trade-Offs

  • Provides key support for signing up, timebox development, voluntary overtime and motivation in general