Learning Styles 3 – Goal Orientation. Is targeting always good?

In this third short article on the Learning Styles Profile (LSP), a new system for understanding and improving your ability to learn, I will discuss the second of the five elements of this model – goal orientation.

If you read the previous articles, you’ll remember that the basic drive to learn (sensation seeking) can be misdirected into socially negative outlets, or channelled using a number of behavioural styles. The first of these is goal orientation – the use of clear challenging goals to provide a focus for energy and activity. Being goal orientated has many strengths (like all the behavioural channels I will tell you about), but it also has potential downsides.

So what are the useful aspects of being goal orientated? Well, these are quite straightforward – knowing what you want gives you great clarity, and if done with confidence in one’s ability to succeed (so-called self-efficacy), then it brings a great sense of confidence which provides great motivation. So what’s wrong with that? Nothing is wrong with it, but there is a ‘dark side’ to all learning behaviours, and goal orientation is no exception.

The negatives of goal orientation are really to do with narrowing of one’s focus. What if you strive to achieve your goal no matter what? What if you are willing to cut corners? What if you’re willing to walk over other people’s feelings? What if you devote all your time and energy to one goal at the expense of others? Goal orientation without a sense of perspective can lead to an unhealthy obsession. So aim for goal orientation by all means, but keep a sense of proportion.

Next time, I will tell you about conscientiousness – how to use it, and how to avoid its negative side.