LAP
Leadership, Attitude, Performance...making learning pay!
Emotional Intelligence LAP 10
Performance Indicator: EI:027
High Hopes
Developing an Achievement Orientation
Objectives:
Student Guide
Table of Contents
2
Driven to Achieve
11
Believe You Can Achieve
Describe achievement orientation.
Demonstrate procedures for developing an
achievement orientation.
Why bother learning about
achievement orientation?
2
9
What would you do?
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LAP-EI-010-CS © 2015, MBA Research and Curriculum Center®
High Hopes
1
Driven to Achieve
Julie works in
season tickets
sales for the local minor league
baseball team.
For the past three
years in a row,
she has sold more season ticket packages than any other account manager.
Last year, she led her team to the honor
of top sales team in the entire league.
This season, Julie set a goal to sell at
least eight new season ticket packages
a week and, so far, she has been accomplishing that goal. She often comes
up with creative new sales techniques to
interest potential customers in the team
and keep ticket sales high.
What would you consider to be some of the world’s greatest achievements? The
building of the pyramids in Egypt? The invention of electricity or the computer?
LeBron James’s impressive list of basketball records and accomplishments? None
of these feats would have been possible had it not been for people striving hard
to achieve them. It’s likely that the people behind each of these accomplishments had a high achievement orientation. Achievement orientation is a drive
to accomplish one’s goals and to meet or exceed a high standard of success.
Achievement-oriented people often want to do things better or more efficiently
than they have been done in the past.
heckepics/iStock/Thinkstock
Julie is an example of an achievement-oriented employee. She desires to
accomplish difficult tasks and sets high
personal standards for success. This
characteristic also contributes to Julie’s
being an effective leader on her work
team. You, too, can learn to develop an
achievement orientation—read on to find
out more!
The world’s greatest accomplishments wouldn’t have been possible without
achievement-oriented people.
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Standards for success
There are many standards that achievement-oriented people set for success, including:
•Past performance. Let’s say you are a sculptor, and you completed six works last
year. You’re achievement-oriented, so this year, you won’t be satisfied unless
you complete more than six works. Or perhaps you’re a manager in the fast-food
restaurant industry. Your restaurant was number three in the district last quarter,
so you won’t be happy unless you move up at least one spot this quarter.
•Objective measures. These measures may be set by the individual or by the
organization or business. For example, you may decide that you want to fill out
no fewer than four job applications over Thanksgiving break. Or, a company may
ask each of its sales representatives to make at least 20 cold calls per week.
Achievement-oriented people enjoy having these measures in place as a tangible
way to prove their success.
•Outperforming others. This standard can also apply to achievement orientation
on a personal level or on an organizational level. You might determine that,
for you, success means placing at least fifth in your graduating class. A homeimprovement business, such as Lowe’s, might determine that it wants to generate
higher revenues than a competitor, such as Home Depot.
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Andrey Popov/iStock/Thinkstock
If you decide that you want to fill out
no fewer than four job applications
over Thanksgiving break, you’re using
objective measures to quantify your
success.
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Standards of excellence
Besides having high standards for success, achievement-oriented people have high
standards of excellence in the way they work and accomplish that success. They are
focused on:
•Improvement. Achievement-oriented people aren’t satisfied with the status quo
(the way things are). They are constantly looking for ways to work better, faster,
smarter, and more efficiently. They want to improve their individual performances
as well as the overall performances of their companies or organizations. For them,
success is like climbing a ladder—they are always reaching for a higher rung.
•Results. Results matter a great deal to achievement-oriented people. They always
keep the end goal in mind—whether that’s landing a job on Wall Street, completing
a marathon, or creating a new product that outsells the competition. Again, they
like having objective measures to evaluate their achievements.
•Trying something new. Achievement-oriented people are often very creative and
innovative. They seek to fill needs that aren’t being met or to improve on existing
products or ideas. Can you imagine what the world would be like if achievementoriented people hadn’t been willing to try something new? Consider the rapid
growth of technology and the great strides made in medicine during the past few
decades—all the results of people who wanted to achieve more.
LAP-EI-010-CS © 2015, MBA Research and Curriculum Center®
iofoto/iStock/Thinkstock
Achievement-oriented people are
always trying to reach the next rung
on the ladder of success.
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4
An entrepreneurial spirit is also a sign of a high achievement orientation.
Starting a business from the ground up means setting a difficult standard for
success, especially since so many new businesses fail. Think about some famous
entrepreneurs, such as Bill Gates, Mary Kay Ash (of Mary Kay Cosmetics), and Mark
Zuckerberg. What achievements were they able to accomplish by being willing to
try something new?
•Competition. As you know, achievement-oriented people are concerned with
outperforming others. This doesn’t mean that to have an achievement orientation,
you must be ruthless (willing to win at any cost) or inconsiderate of those around
you. It just means that you use others (other employees, other businesses) as
a measure for your own achievements—you’re striving not only to keep up with
them but to take your accomplishments a step further.
How to spot an achiever
There are certain behaviors that most achievement-oriented people exhibit.
In general, they:
•Produce high-quality work. Achievement-oriented people don’t allow others to
set the standards for them. Instead, they set their own high standards for quality
work. They realize that the current way is not always the best way, and they strive
to be more productive and efficient than anyone else.
moodboard/moodboard/Thinkstock
Achievement-oriented people don’t just
want to keep up with others—they want to
outperform them!
• Are not satisfied with current performance. People who are achievement oriented
are constantly working to improve their skills. For them, there is always a way to
get better. For example, let’s say you increased your sales by 3% last quarter. If
you are achievement oriented, you won’t stop there! You’ll want to increase your
sales even more next quarter.
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•Demonstrate leadership. Achievement-oriented people tend to be leaders.
Their drive to achieve causes others to gravitate toward them and follow
them. Because producing high-quality work is so important to them, they
usually like overseeing a team and making sure the job gets done right.
Wavebreakmedia Ltd/Wavebreak Media/Thinkstock
•Take moderate risks. No one can achieve great things without assuming
some amount of risk. Achievement-oriented people assess risk carefully,
however. They tend to take moderate risks but avoid high risks. Since they
value accomplishments so much, they can’t afford taking risks that might
destroy their chances of success.
To read more about how taking risks can help your career, read the
article “Why Taking Risks Comes with Great Rewards” by Stacia Pierce:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/stacia-pierce/why-taking-risks-comeswi_b_4235351.html.
• Take responsibility. Achieving through their own personal efforts
means a lot to achievement-oriented people. This means that they take
responsibility for both successes and failures. As leaders, they take the
same responsibility for their work teams.
LAP-EI-010-CS © 2015, MBA Research and Curriculum Center®
Achievement-oriented people are often leaders.
They like to oversee a team and make sure
things get done correctly.
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• Desire feedback. Achievement-oriented people rely heavily on
feedback from their superiors and coworkers. They want to know
how they’re doing and to get suggestions on how to improve.
They’re not afraid to ask for input or to accept constructive criticism.
monkeybusinessimages/iStock/Thinkstock
•Are patient and persistent. Accomplishing goals isn’t always easy. As
a matter of fact, if the goals are worth achieving, it’s almost never
easy! Think about training for a 5K—you know it will be challenging,
but if you want to succeed, you can’t give up after you have a
rough workout. Achievement-oriented people don’t give up when
the going gets tough. Instead, they work even harder to reach their goals.
To read about other things achievement-oriented people have in common, check out this article, “How to be a Super-Achiever: The 10 Qualities
That Matter” by Jenna Goudreau: http://www.forbes.com/sites/jennagou-
Achievement-oriented people rely on feedback
from their superiors and coworkers. They know
how to accept constructive criticism.
dreau/2013/01/17/how-to-be-a-super-achiever-the-10-qualities-that-matter/.
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Achievement orientation and leadership
Achievement orientation has a close relationship with leadership skills. As a matter
of fact, achievement behavior is considered one of the four main types of leadership behaviors or styles. There are several characteristics of a leader who exhibits
achievement behavior, including:
•Setting challenging goals for followers to reach. Achievement-oriented leaders
set challenging goals for themselves to reach, and they expect the same from
their followers. The key is setting goals that are difficult but still attainable. If
the goals are too challenging, followers will become discouraged and may quit
working hard to achieve them.
•Expressing confidence in followers. After setting challenging goals for their
followers, achievement-oriented leaders offer support and demonstrate
confidence in their followers to get the job done. Think of a leader you’ve
known whom you admire. How did s/he encourage you to achieve?
•Assisting followers in learning to achieve goals. Members of a work team might
not always be achievement oriented, even if the leader is. This doesn’t mean
that they can’t learn to achieve challenging goals. An achievement-oriented
leader will help his/her followers and equip them to do whatever they need to
do to contribute to the work team’s success.
LAP-EI-010-CS © 2015, MBA Research and Curriculum Center®
moodboard/moodboard/Thinkstock
Achievement-oriented leaders set
challenging goals for themselves and their
followers.
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•Stressing improvement and high-quality performance.
Achievement-oriented leaders require high-quality work from their
followers. They expect their work teams to constantly improve on
past performances. Their own high standards set the tone for the
entire work team.
•Expecting followers to take responsibility. Although achievementoriented leaders will take responsibility for the work team as a
whole, they will also expect team members to take individual
responsibility for their work.
•Providing feedback. Achievement-oriented leaders desire feedback
themselves, so they are sure to provide it for their followers as
well. They let those on their work team know how they’re doing—
what they’re doing well and what they can improve.
•Allowing followers to take moderate risks. Some leaders try to
control all the variables of the work team to minimize risks
and mistakes. Achievement-oriented leaders recognize the
importance of allowing their followers to take moderate risks.
Not only can this lead to greater accomplishments for the team,
it can also build confidence for the individuals.
LAP-EI-010-CS © 2015, MBA Research and Curriculum Center®
Annette has a high achievement orientation.
Her goal is to be the top salesperson at her
branch this quarter. Her drive to outperform
her coworkers, however, has a negative effect
on her working relationships. The other salespeople always feel that Annette is trying to
“one up” them or find out how well they’re doing so she can try to top them. Her coworkers
are reluctant to even talk to her, let alone form
friendships. What do you think? Is Annette’s
desire to achieve worth alienating others in
her workplace? How can she reconcile her
achievement orientation with the importance
of cultivating positive working relationships?
High Hopes
9
Results of achievement orientation
Achievement-oriented leaders and employees contribute greatly to their companies and organizations. With them on the job, there is continuous improvement, whether it’s in products, procedures, ideas, or the work environment in
general. These employees also contribute to increased efficiency and productivity. This benefits the company by keeping costs down—when efficiency and
The other three main types of leadership
behavior are directive (telling followers
exactly what to do), supportive (being
friendly and sensitive toward followers),
and participative (consulting with
followers about decisions).
productivity are up, it takes less time and money to do the same amount of
work. In addition, these employees help to give their organizations an edge in
today’s extremely competitive business market.
iStockphoto/Thinkstock
Summary
Achievement orientation is a drive to accomplish one’s goals and to meet or
exceed a high standard of success. There are many standards that achievement-oriented people set for success, including past performance, objective
1. What is achievement orientation?
measures, and outperforming others. They are focused on improvement,
2. What standards for success do
achievement-oriented people use?
results, trying something new, and competition. Achievement-oriented people
produce high-quality work, are not satisfied with current performance, demonstrate leadership, take moderate risks, take responsibility, desire feedback,
and are patient and persistent. Achievement orientation has a close relationship with leadership skills. Leaders and employees with achievement
orientations contribute greatly to their companies and organizations.
3. What standards of excellence do
achievement-oriented people follow?
4. List at least four behaviors of an
achievement-oriented person.
5. List at least four behaviors of an
achievement-oriented leader.
6. What are the results of an achievement orientation?
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Believe You Can Achieve
Maybe you weren’t born with a high achievement orientation. You work hard and do
well, but you’re not motivated by accomplishments and don’t consider yourself to
Wavebreakmedia Ltd/Wavebreak Media/Thinkstock
be a leader. No problem! Not everyone is naturally achievement oriented, and that’s
okay. You can, however, learn to develop a basic achievement orientation that can
help you succeed at school, work, or whatever you set your mind to doing. Try following these simple steps:
Step 1: Set goals.
It’s impossible to achieve goals if you don’t set any in the first place. They are the
criteria you will use to determine whether or not you’ve been successful. Goals don’t
have to be complicated, but it’s important to think them through and decide what
you’re really trying to accomplish. You might even come up with a few new ideas
along the way.
When it comes to setting goals, keep these tips in mind:
•Put them in writing. Goals are much harder to ignore or forget about when they
are right in front of you in black and white. Writing goals down has a tendency
to make them feel more solid and real, giving you greater motivation to work
toward them. And, when you’ve reached a goal, it feels great to be able to
cross it off your list!
LAP-EI-010-CS © 2015, MBA Research and Curriculum Center®
You can learn to develop an achievement
orientation that will help you succeed at
school, work, or whatever you set your
mind to doing!
High Hopes
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•Make them difficult but possible. A goal that’s too easy isn’t a real goal
because it doesn’t require any work or effort to achieve it. For instance,
getting a C in French isn’t really a goal if you are already an average French
student. That’s just keeping the status quo. But it’s also important not to
make your goals unattainable. You’re probably not going to make $100,000
your first year out of college. Try to find the happy medium—take moderate
risks!
• Make them specific. It’s difficult to work toward a goal that’s vague. Goals
should be specific, quantifiable (tied to a number measurement) if possible.
It’s not enough to say that you want to work on your summer internship
applications this week. How many do you want to complete? It’s not enough
to say that you want to increase your sales. What percentage increase are
you aiming for?
•Tie them to a timetable. This is another way you can make your goals specific
as well as motivate yourself to achieve them. Set deadlines. Give yourself a
certain date by which the goal must be accomplished. But be reasonable. You
can’t finish a 20-page paper in just one evening. However, you can set a goal
to complete at least four pages.
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Andrew Johnson/iStock/Thinkstock
Setting deadlines helps make goals specific
and motivates you to achieve them.
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•Make sure they are compatible with each other. This is especially important in
the workplace. Conflicting goals can cause a lot of problems. Let’s say a business
is short on cash and needs to cut down on its employees working overtime.
However, it also needs to step up production for the upcoming busy season. The
leaders in this business have two goals—to save money and to produce more.
Right now, these goals are in conflict with one another. It will be impossible to
expect employees to work more than usual without claiming overtime.
•Establish priorities for accomplishing your goals. It can be overwhelming if you
try to work on 10 goals at once. Pick one or two of your most important goals,
and tackle those first.
• Develop an action plan for each goal. This will help you to use your time wisely
and not waste your efforts. Identify the resources you’ll need to achieve the goal
and make sure you have access to those resources. Try to think ahead to what
obstacles or roadblocks you might face along the way. If you plan for them ahead
of time, you’ll find it easier to overcome them if and when they pop up.
RTimages/iStock/Thinkstock
A business cannot step up production and
decrease overtime pay. It’s important for
goals to be compatible with one another!
•Regularly review and revise your goals. The only thing that’s certain is change.
As your life, your work, and your circumstances change, so will your goals. You
might change your mind about what major to pursue in college or which city
you’d like to live and work in. The market climate may shift and force you to
rethink what you’re expecting of your sales team. Allowing room to review and
revise your goals only makes sense!
If you want to know more about how you can achieve your goals, check out this short
animated video, “One Step at a Time—Goal Achieving Cartoon Doodle Video”: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8cCiqbSJ9fg.
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Step 2: Ask for feedback.
So, you’ve got a handle on your goals, and you’re well on your way to achieving
them. Getting input from others along the way can be a big help. Constructive criticism can help you learn what you’re doing right, what you’re doing wrong, and how
you can improve so you can achieve even more.
Nelosa/iStock/Thinkstock
Feedback can come from a variety of sources. Of course, it’s important to get feedback from your managers or supervisors. They are the ones who will be judging your
performance the closest and will be most likely to have the experience and wisdom you
might need to solve a problem. You can ask your coworkers and followers for feedback
as well. Good ideas can come from anywhere!
Asking for feedback is one step toward
developing an achievement orientation.
You might even want to choose a role model or a mentor. It could be a person
you respect and whose achievements you admire. It could even be someone who
has done an excellent job in the same position or role you’re currently in. Your mentor could give you encouragement and advice, as well as a great example to emulate
(model yourself after).
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Step 3: Be patient and persistent.
Undoubtedly, you will encounter delays, problems, and frustrations along the way
to reaching your goals. Achievement-oriented people demonstrate patience and
persistence when these obstacles occur. Let’s say you’re in charge of planning a
big fundraising event for the non-profit organization you work for. Your goal is to
have all the invitations and name cards printed by Friday. The printer you always
use (the one who gives you a discount) is having problems with her equipment and
won’t be able to finish the job on time. You’re frustrated. Should you wait for your
regular printer and miss your deadline? Or should you look for someone else and
pay more? It may be a frustrating decision to try to make, but if you choose to
be patient and persistent, you’ll come up with a solution that will still allow you to
achieve what you need to.
Patience and persistence apply to more than just roadblocks. Achievements can
take a while to accomplish, even when things are going well. Achievement-oriented
people commit for the long haul. They are also patient with themselves and others, Photodisc/Photodisc/Thinkstock
What would you do if the printer you usually
use had problems? Would you give up, or
would you be patient and persistent?
realizing that mistakes will happen and they must learn from them and improve their performances.
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Step 4: Be a leader.
Even if you’re not a leader, you can learn to accept responsibility in a team
setting. Doing so will boost your confidence, make you a more marketable
employee, and help you develop your achievement orientation. You can start
by volunteering to head up a small project, and work your way up to larger
responsibilities as you begin to feel more comfortable. Remember, as a leader,
you are responsible for the team’s failures as well as its successes.
Step 5: Reward yourself for your accomplishments.
If someone you were supervising did a great job, wouldn’t you reward that
person? So why should you treat yourself any differently? When you accomplish a goal, be sure to give yourself a pat on the back. Reward yourself with
a day off or a trip to the movies with your friends. This will help you to stay
roberthyrons/iStock/Thinkstock
Accepting responsibility will boost your confidence,
make you a more marketable employee, and help
you develop your achievement orientation.
motivated and to continue working hard to achieve your goals.
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Summary
iStockphoto/Thinkstock
You can learn to develop a basic achievement orientation.
First, set goals. Then, ask for feedback, be patient and
persistent, be a leader and, finally, reward yourself for
your accomplishments.
1. List at least five tips for goal setting.
2. List five steps for developing an
achievement orientation.
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