The Boston Globe recently featured an article called "Ready, Set...Fail: Why Setting Goals Can Backfire." The article told the story of General Motors (GM) who, after setting a lofty goal nearly 10 years ago, fell victim to its own goals by focusing all its resources to try to meet that goal.

The company proceeded with tunnel-vision toward reclaiming 29% of the American market share - a goal that went unmet and led to GM's bankruptcy last year.  While setting goals is essential to program success, making audacious or poorly-defined goals can have unintended consequences and make goal-setters short-sighted when overly focused on that goal.  Becoming overly focused on an unrealistic goal can lead to missed opportunities and can cause program leaders to overlook other successes.  

When in the process of defining your program goals, the following guidelines can help you avoid the pitfall of having poor goals:

Recognize why having well-defined goals is important. 

This year, 2009, has marked one of the most difficult periods the US economy has faced since the Depression. The economic crisis has challenged the integrity of leaders and workers across many sectors - government, private business, and non-profits to education, finance, health care - who control the flow of resources across the nation. These challenges have been evident in the decisions and responses to controversies like executive bonuses at big companies, corporate bailouts, and tax reform. As the US looks to find ways to improve our ailing economy, the crisis reminds us of the need for greater accountability.

• What does accountability look like?
• How does evaluation relate to accountability?
• Is making accountability a priority a wise investment of time and resources?

GRG is pleased to be working with the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation to evaluate JKC's Undergraduate Transfer program. This program provides financial and educational resources for high-achieving community college students to complete their bachelor's degree at a selective 4-year institution. 

GRG is in the first year of a 5-year longitudinal study of applicants to and recipients of the Kent Cooke Undergraduate Transfer program scholarship. The study is examining student outcomes by tracing their paths and achievements in order to identify the factors that facilitate or hinder their academic and professional success.

Why focus on community colleges?

In the past two years, there have been significant increases, as much as 10%, in the number of students enrolling in community colleges in the US.[1]  Community colleges are public 2-year postsecondary education institutions which primarily aware associate's degrees and certificate programs.  They typically enroll a diverse group of students and have a larger percentage of nontraditional, low-income and minority students than 4-year schools.[2]   

While nearly half of first-year community college students plan to transfer to a 4-year school, these students are more likely to leave college with no degree compared to those who matriculate directly into 4-years schools.  A recent article in the Chronicle of Higher Education cites that due to their increasing numbers, competition for transfer admission has increased to selective private colleges.  Additionally, community colleges need to have stronger advising in schools with low transfer rates. [3] Programs such as the Jack Kent Cooke Undergraduate Transferprogram offer financial and social support to students who want to have a successful transition. 

The program provides up to $30,000 each to 50 students annually toward tuition, living expense, books, and fees.  Today, it is the largest private scholarship program for two-year and community college transfer students.  Students have gone to top schools like Georgetown, Stanford, UCLA, Columbia, and Boston University.

Who was Jack Kent Cooke?

Jack Kent Cooke was a self-made billionaire from Canada, whose formal education ended when he had to leave high school to work to support his family during the Depression.    After selling encyclopedias door-to-door for 3 years, he earned his wealth through operating radio stations and newspapers in Canada.  When Cooke died in 1997 as US citizen, he left the majority of his estate to establish the Jack Kent Cook Foundation.  The Foundation was established in 2000.

His challenge to young people is still inspirational:  "Destiny demands you do better than your supposed best."