The whole idea of goal setting was at one stage in the 1980s a cultural staple in the career employment vocabulary. The problem with the idea, as it is with most people, was turning it into something even remotely practical. People were supposed to be 'goal-oriented' and 'results-oriented', etc. But there was a brief cultural pause as the reply came back: 'OK, how?'

A virtual industry in telling people how to set goals sprang up, with endless books on the subject. It's very much a matter of opinion how effective all this assistance has really been. Career goals and various forms of personal goals are still dominant themes in the employment market, and big selling points for career paths. But the methods for achieving them still seem vague and ill-defined.

People trying to pick careers, figure out good job moves, and even choose courses have a hard time plowing through the possibilities. Even the advisors can only produce so much in terms of paths and forward vision. The fact is that the employment market is evolving into new forms, and the hard work of setting realistic goals is now put squarely on the individual.

The primary decisions are the big ones. For any career path, and any industry, people have to work mainly on known quantities. An MBA will achieve this. A BS will achieve that. A double degree allows one thing, an apprenticeship produces something else. Ironically, of all these choices, at the moment the apprenticeship is the better structured career path. Everything else is in a state of flux, as the various professions remodel themselves for the 21st century, which has already demolished whole career concepts.

Decision making methods

Lateral thinking

Decision making can be simplified, if not made easier. The best approach is lateral thinking: decide where you want to go, then trace back from that point how to get there. This is a pretty reliable approach. It's thorough, and it at least allows you to make your first moves.

Flexible approach

An alternative is less obvious, but it's also highly adaptable: the flexible approach. This is where you decide on a broad career path, but work on multiple possibilities in stages. You get to defined stages, either through employment or qualifications or both, then look for the best options. So you'd start off as an accountant, become a CPA, move into financial accounting, get your MBA, and specialize from there. This is also, to some extent, a 'path of least resistance' approach, and it does work.

Structured approach

This is a purely conventional approach, working on a standard career structure of qualifications and progressions through your working life. It's extremely simple, and it works pretty much as it's supposed to work. This is the apprenticeship method in another form, really, and it's a clear path, which is a real positive for many people.

These are the basics. In the next parts, we'll discuss long-term and short-term goal setting.