Sliding Scales: The Silent Retreat of Goals in Education and Life

Just the other day, I had this enlightening chat with my son's table tennis coach. He flagged something about my son's game in those Sunday matches that got me thinking: my kid's game was slipping. Instead of executing aggressive forehand smashes, he was opting for cautious serves, a strategy that wasn't paying off. The coach pinpointed a mental block – my son believed he was outclassed by his opponents, a mindset that held him back. We took this opportunity to sit down with him and reevaluate his approach.

Here’s what we figured: 1) He needed to get back to those bold smashes, even if it meant missing a few, 2) Keep his opponent on their toes, making them dart across the table, and 3) Spot and hit where it hurts – like if their backhand was a bit wobbly. In contrast, he had been playing it safe: cautious serves, favoring one side of the table, and not probing his opponent's vulnerabilities.

Over time, he had unknowingly lowered his competitive bar, a classic case of the 'eroding goals' archetype in systems thinking. Just like this archetype, where standards are diminished when facing challenges, my son had subtly shifted his gameplay to a less ambitious standard. By recognizing and addressing this, we hoped to reignite his original, more daring spirit in the game.

The "eroding goals" systems archetype describes a situation where, over time, the standards or goals in a system are lowered because the original goals are deemed too difficult to achieve. In this article, we delve into this archetype, particularly within the educational sphere and its diverse stakeholders.

Eroding Educational Goals: A Classroom Perspective

Let’s talk about how goals can shift over time and how they might manifest in a classroom setting.

Imagine we start with a really high bar for what counts as A-grade student work. Over time, teachers may find that too many students are failing to meet this standard. Instead of maintaining the rigorous standard and seeking ways to improve student performance, the teacher might start to give higher grades for work that previously would not have met the A-grade standard. There may be a lack of consistent grading rubrics or an increasing emphasis on pass rates for school performance metrics. There may be a belief that students’ self-esteem must be protected at all costs. This represents a gradual erosion of the original educational goals.

Here’s another scenario. Consider the initial goal where the learning objective was to cover all planned material comprehensively within the semester. But then there are debilitating structures in place like a curriculum overloaded with content, insufficient class time, or administrative demands that take time away from instruction. Due to such constraints, the teacher may skip certain topics or cover them superficially, thus reducing the breadth and depth of knowledge that was the original goal.

Another example that comes to mind is in the context of behavioural expectations. The initial goal might be to uphold a strict code of conduct in the classroom.? But then it’s found that the students frequently disrupt class, and the teacher finds it too challenging to enforce discipline. Perhaps there is lack of support for classroom management or it’s a case of overcrowded classrooms. It’s also possible that the teacher resigns to the idea that ‘kids will be kids’ or fears confrontation with parents over strict discipline. They may become more lenient, allowing minor disruptions to go unchecked and slowly eroding the original behavioral expectations.

In each of these cases, the combination of structural inadequacies and unhelpful mental models can lead to a gradual lowering of standards as the initial goals are perceived as increasingly unattainable. Addressing the eroding goals archetype requires attention to both changing the structures and shifting the mental models to support and maintain high standards.

Impact on Diverse Educational Stakeholders

Eroding goals can manifest differently for various stakeholders in an educational setting, including students, parents, teachers, and instructional coaches. A student who aspires to achieve high grades or master new skills may gradually settle for passing grades or partial understanding due to repeated difficulties, lack of motivation, or insufficient support. A parent who wants to ensure their child receives a quality education and support their academic progress may start to accept lower academic achievement or decreased engagement from their child, perhaps due to busy schedules, frustration with the system, or repeated disappointments. An instructional coach aiming to implement innovative teaching strategies might resort to only addressing basic classroom management issues if they encounter resistance or lack of interest from teachers. A teacher who once actively shared resources and strategies with colleagues might start working in isolation if they feel that collaboration isn’t reciprocated or valued.

It's crucial for all stakeholders to recognize this risk of erosion of goals and work actively to maintain high standards and expectations.

The Gradual and Subtle Nature of Goal Erosion

The erosion of goals can occur both gradually and subtly, often without immediate notice.

An individual decides to get in shape by going to the gym five days a week and eating a balanced diet. Over several months, their gym attendance might drop to four days, then three, rationalizing each reduction ("I'm still going more than most people"). Concurrently, small dietary exceptions become more frequent ("one cheat meal won't hurt"). After a year, they might find themselves exercising sporadically and having abandoned most of their dietary goals, a far cry from their original plan.

An employee aims for a senior position in their company, planning to take on more projects and responsibilities to get noticed. They start by enthusiastically tackling new tasks. However, over time, they begin to feel overwhelmed and gradually start avoiding additional responsibilities, convincing themselves they're still doing enough. Years later, they may still be in the same position, having subtly adjusted their career ambition without a clear moment of decision. This erosion wasn't marked by any significant event but rather a slow retreat from their original aspirations.

In both scenarios, the erosion is not due to a single, clear-cut decision but rather a series of small compromises or rationalizations. This makes it harder to notice until much of the original goal has been eroded away. Regular self-reflection and honest evaluation against one's original goals are essential to prevent or counteract this process.

Strategies to Counter Goal Erosion

Countering the erosion of goals involves a combination of awareness, strategic planning, and consistent effort. Periodically review your goals and progress. Reflect on whether your current actions align with your original intentions. Be willing to adjust your strategies if something isn’t working, but keep the core goal in mind. Be aware of negative self-talk or rationalizations that justify straying from your goals. Recognize when you're making excuses and challenge them with factual evidence or past successes.

Remember that progress is often non-linear and involves overcoming obstacles. Goal maintenance is an active process that requires ongoing attention and adjustment.

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