There is a concept of practical representation of a goal. The essence and functions of representations


Our ideas about life and ourselves guide our actions and behavior. If we are convinced that our desires are beyond our reach, we sabotage ourselves and block the path to achieving our goals. As already mentioned, our ideas and thoughts are instructions for the subconscious. It carries them out without analyzing their legality. It carries out faster those instructions that are the most frequent guests of our thoughts and are consistent with the attitudes of the subconscious. Therefore, it is very important to be able to mentally imagine goals and dreams, and the more detailed such an idea is, the faster the desired events can arise in life. It is important to distinguish between the moments when you control the patterns in your imagination and have complete power over them, from those cases when you allow them to appear in your consciousness on their own, without your conscious influence; in the second case, this may be information from your Younger personality. In the same way, our inner self can perceive the thoughts of other people and coordinate our behavior with them.
Our thoughts, the thoughts of other people and ideas are material, although they consist of very subtle energy. If a person does not strive to eliminate unpleasant or painful emotions from consciousness, but tries to suppress them, then, when repressed from consciousness, they do not disappear without a trace, but pass into the area of ​​the subconscious. In this case, they can cause a weakening of a person’s mental energy, nullify his vitality and the ability to achieve the implementation of plans. You cannot simply repress emotions into the subconscious; it is important to neutralize their negative connotation. Negative emotions most often arise due to a conflict between the conscious and subconscious. If you feel that some unpleasant, sad, bitter emotion has settled in your soul, you need to work on yourself. In a state of light trance, try to show friendly interest in her. Ask what her name is, where she came from, why you need her, how you can help her, and why she helps you with her presence. It is important that during work it is she who speaks, and not your consciousness. Often after such work, negative emotions themselves explain what you should do with them. The fact is that unconscious emotions and feelings cannot be controlled through consciousness and, therefore, it is difficult to avoid their destructive effects, especially if the emotions are negative. That’s why it’s so important to keep your thoughts clean and be able to control your emotions. If you have not yet achieved the ability to control your emotions and “negotiate” with the subconscious, the easiest way to deal with them is to rationalize them. Let's take jealousy for example. Jealousy can poison the existence of not only the jealous person, but also his partner and all the people around him. Jealousy is an emotion from the subconscious. How would consciousness interpret it? “Jealousy is an early signal of the possible onset of loneliness.” Is it true? - quite. Do we need such a signal? - useful. Decide for yourself what its intensity and form of notification should be, ask your subconscious to help you with this, and at the same time correct your behavior pattern during its onset. Now let's look at envy. For example, a co-worker came to work wearing a new blouse. The blouse is lovely. Instead of emanating bile, looking at the scoundrel, perceive such an appearance as friendly advice, revealing the secrets of the fashionista - she has “split.” Take a close look at the neckline - how well it suits you, the color combination,

overall silhouette and decorative finish. Take this as a signal to action and go looking for the same thing, but better. If she appears not in a blouse, but in a mink coat, ask her to try it on, mentally getting used to it, spin in front of the mirror and immediately write to yourself suitable affirmations that you are ready to wear the same fur coat, but better, and the memory of that how you look in it will help you visualize the desired image.

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Performance - this is the mental process of reflecting objects or phenomena that are not currently perceived, but are recreated on the basis of our previous experience .

The basis of representation is the perception of objects that took place in the past. Several types of representations can be distinguished. Firstly, this memory representations , that is, ideas that arose on the basis of our direct perception in the past of any object or phenomenon. Secondly, This imagination. Representations of the imagination are formed on the basis of information received in past perceptions and its more or less creative processing. The richer the past experience, the brighter and more complete the corresponding idea can be.

Ideas do not arise on their own, but as a result of our practical activity. Moreover, ideas are of great importance not only for the processes of memory or imagination, but they are extremely important for all mental processes that ensure human cognitive activity. The processes of perception, thinking, and writing are always associated with ideas, as well as memory, which stores information and thanks to which ideas are formed.

Views have their own characteristics:

1. Visibility. Representations are sensory-visual images of reality (its objects, phenomena, situations). Representations never have the degree of clarity that is inherent in images of perception - they, as a rule, are much paler.

2. Fragmentation. The representations are full of gaps, some parts and features are presented vividly, others very vaguely, and still others are completely absent.

3. Instability and impermanence. Thus, any evoked image, be it an object or someone’s image, will disappear from the field of your consciousness, no matter how hard you try to hold it. And you will have to make another effort to evoke it again. In addition, representations are very fluid and changeable. First one and then another detail of the reproduced image comes to the foreground.

It should be noted that ideas are not just visual images of reality, but are always to a certain extent generalized images . A generalized image is characterized, first of all, by the fact that it emphasizes and presents with the greatest clarity the constant features of a given object, and on the other hand, the features characteristic of individual, private memories are absent or presented very faintly.

Our ideas are always the result of a generalization of individual images of perception. The degree of generalization contained in a presentation may vary. Representations characterized by a high degree of generalization are called general ideas .


Representation, like any other cognitive process, performs a number of functions in the mental regulation of human behavior. Most researchers highlight three main functions : signaling, regulating and tuning.

1. Essence signaling function representations consists in reflecting in each specific case not only the image of an object that previously influenced our senses, but also diverse information about this object, which, under the influence of specific influences, is transformed into a system of signals that control behavior.

2. Regulatory function representations is closely related to their signaling function and consists in the selection of the necessary information about an object or phenomenon that previously influenced our senses. Thanks to the regulatory function, exactly those aspects, for example, of motor representations are updated, on the basis of which the task is solved with the greatest success.

3. Setting function . It manifests itself in the orientation of human activity depending on the nature of environmental influences. The tuning function of representations provides a certain training effect of motor representations, which contributes to the formation of an algorithm of our activity.

Thus, ideas play a very significant role in the mental regulation of human activity.

To begin with, it must be said that movement and action are of course different concepts, but they can intersect.

First option- movement, but not action. This option is possible, but only empirical examples are not enough; a theoretical interpretation is needed. This is actually a disorderly chaotic motor activity without direction.

Activity is directed by a goal, but here movement is aimless. This requires a special theoretical interpretation. This is the kind of messy trial and error that was meant when talking about the behavior of the cat in Thorndike's problem box. This kind of activity is contrasted with intellectual activity, what can be called learning without understanding.

Thorndike was criticized for making the situation too difficult for the subject and only because there was disorderly activity. So Tolman’s rat had erratic activity, but Tolman credits it with understanding the situation.

Second option- action, but without movement. This is probably the case here. We, first of all, have in mind mental internal actions. For example, this is the idea of ​​internalizing action. The idea of ​​the unity of the structure of external and internal activity, which allows us to explore this transition from outside to internal action. The central author here was P.Ya. Galperin. His theory of the systematic formation of mental actions.

Third option– intersection. Here we need to remember the definition of action according to Leontiev. Action is a process subordinated to the idea of ​​the result that must be achieved.

The result must be achieved. This means that the main focus of the action is given objectively in the form of a requirement. Any task has its objective and subjective side. A requirement is an important part of the objective side, set from the outside.

It is in this sense that N.A. Bernstein uses the concept of a motor task. The construction of movement is considered as an objectively given motor task. It may not be realized, but it is carried out according to a certain program. The requirement is achieved under certain conditions. In the process of solving a motor task, changing conditions are constantly taken into account.

Since there is an idea of ​​the result, then we turn to the subjective side and we call this idea the goal. A special process called targeting may be required. If the means is clear to the subject, then it instantly becomes the goal. And if it is not clear, then the process of accepting the problem for a solution occurs. The process of transforming an objective requirement into a subjective goal.

Well, then if the subject has a goal, then the goal achieved under certain conditions is a task in the exact sense of the word according to Leontiev. It is no longer a motor task, but a mental task that directs a certain internal process, that arose among the first researchers of thinking. In Wurzburg at the beginning of the twentieth century.


Researchers of the Würzburg school, in their rather simple experiments (they gave subjects simple, clear tasks in which goal formation was not required. For example, tasks to understand the meaning of words, phrases, proverbs, sayings, comparing two concepts, matching one word with a related word) noticed that even these simple mental processes cannot be explained by association. There are many associations that must guide them. They wanted to get an answer from the subjects - what directs this process, associations. The answer was received that a special experience was arising. Sometimes it was called an intellectual feeling that arises when the word “hunting” is presented and one must answer “gun”, then many different private associations appear. And when it is already clear that the word “gun” will follow in response, a special feeling arises that conveys neither hunting nor a gun, i.e. has nothing to do with representation, but has to do with their connection. A sense of task, a sense of the task being solved. Or, on the contrary, a sense of question.

Würzburg psychologists were the first to describe the phenomenology of goal setting, goal setting, and mental goals. Something that arises in subjects regardless of the material. Thought does not depend on the image, on the material of the task, it is pure thought.

In Leontief's definition, in addition to what has already been said, there is the word process. A process subordinated to a conscious goal. As soon as the goal was understood, the simplest problems were immediately solved. And in more complex problems, it is necessary to outline another process.

One process already exists - goal setting. But when the task has arisen as a goal in conditions, a process of transforming conditions into means of achieving goals is necessary. In short, it can be called the process of searching or creating funds. Of course, this process can no longer be called reproductive. In these conditions, means of achieving goals are sought. This process is productive in the sense of the process of searching and creating funds.

Gestalt psychologists have already begun to study productive thinking (creative thinking). It was they who separated the objective and subjective sides of the task. And as it were, the problem itself became the following. The creative task that is given to the subjects of Gestalt psychologists is not creative for those who know its solution. A productive process occurs when the objective side is transformed into the subjective.

For the subject, the information that he has been given everything he needs to make a decision is an empty phrase. For example, no one told the subject that the problem with matches should be solved on a plane. It was he himself who incorrectly defined the conditions, using his past experience. After all, he used to solve problems with matches on a plane. Can what he does be called an action? Is laying out matches on a plane an action or not? He has further defined the conditions, but whether he has a goal is not yet clear. Is there a direction to the activity?

Representatives of the information approach should join here. Who will say it doesn't matter. This subject with matches has some kind of goal. And then we can study the process of finding funds. The process of finding funds can be algorithmized. It is possible because the means of achieving goals, depending on conditions, are operations.

Würzburg psychologists described the phenomenology of goals. Gestalt psychologists began to consider creative tasks (the process of goal formation and the process of searching for means). And, finally, if the process of goal setting is quite difficult to algorithmize, then the process of searching for means as an operational aspect of the action can be programmed.

I would like to cite one phrase that was first uttered by Picasso, and repeated by Tarkovsky. Tarkovsky was asked by a Polish journalist who knew that Tarkovsky had completely remade the already filmed film “Mirror” 20 times. Journalist’s question: “Is it true that you went through different versions of your film 20 times and looked for the best option?” Everyone who had a peak experience of Maslow and Tarkovsky was offended by the journalist, p.ch. “The artist does not look for anything, he finds.” Tarkovsky, of course, did not go through the options, but wanted to understand what was done as a whole, he wanted to find understanding. Finding funds (this is the bottom arrow) is the operational aspect of creating funds. And finding an understanding of the task and the situation in which the subject is located is the top arrow. And Tarkovsky, together with Picasso, precisely say that these two processes must be distinguished.

And the subject who lays out the matches on a plane is not looking for anything yet, but for now is simply trying to understand what situation he is in. And when he understands that he needs to go out of the plane into space, he will find a solution.

Creative tasks are called problems. If there is a problem, then the task is creative. Since a task means it is something that can be modeled.

Now let's say that the development of intelligence, of course, begins with the representation of reality through practical action. And if we were to talk about the fact that already in practical action we can talk about intelligence. Intelligence is operations, and operations are internalized actions. In more detail, what is the systemic representation of actions.

Piaget uses the language of mathematical logic and draws on the concepts of groups. A group is a specific system with a number of properties. Let's say, a set of numbers is convenient for demonstrating the properties of a particular set. A group consists of certain elements and consists of certain operations in relation to these elements. A group, but not a group.

Group properties. There are four of them. First property - composition. The composition of group elements is the ability to combine elements into new ones. For example, the sum of two numbers is the third new number for the first two. Or a watch dial - the rotation of two hands is also a composition. Second propertyreversibility. Each element has its inverse. For example, positive and negative numbers that are symmetrical with respect to zero. Or let's say forward and backward movement of the clock hands. Third propertyassociativity. Combining the sum of two elements with a third has the same result as combining the first element with the sum of the second and third. This concerns the summation of three numbers and concerns the dial. Or, for example, the same goal on the ground can be achieved in different ways. Fourth propertyidentity or a general identical operation. That is, the sum of the direct and inverse operations is equal to zero. On the clock, after turning the hand 360 degrees, the same position will appear again.

Piaget will try to apply these four properties to coordinated practical actions. Piaget will identify several groups, among which he will call the first group of practical actions - this is such an organization of sensorimotor actions with objects that has the properties of a group from the point of view of the observer.

Third question. Practical actions and development of intelligence. Sensorimotor intelligence.

We already know that sensorimotor intelligence is the first stage of the development of intelligence according to J. Piaget. We will gradually study Piaget's concept.

Intelligence according to Piaget is a system of logical operations. However, here we are talking about a developed intellect, already conceptual, associated with logic. But the first stage of the development of intelligence can be called a system of practical actions. First, let's look at the concept of sensorimotor itself.

The first part is sensory, which means associated with the perceptual sphere of sensations and perceptions. And here, first of all, let's look at the relationship between perception and intelligence. The second part is motor, about the formation of motor skills. It turns out that there are two sources in the prehistory of the development of sensorimotor practical intelligence.

Correlation between perception and intelligence. Differences and similarities. The peculiarity of Piaget’s concept is that new qualitative stages replace each other, and the change is like insight. But on the other hand, there is something in common between the stages.

First, the differences. We know the saints of the perceptual image from topic 7 and from the example of Allport’s article. A feature of intelligence is centering, i.e. highlighting a figure in the perceptual field, so that the rest of this field disappears into the background. The figure is brighter than the background, it is somewhat larger than is consistent with the optics of vision.

In contrast, intelligence is decentration, it is the combination of at least two different points of view on an object. It is impossible to see from different points of view at the same time. It takes intelligence to bring different points of view together.

What are the similarities between perception and intelligence? Piaget's concept can also be called a constructive concept of intelligence. The schema of an object depends on the action with it, both acting and imagining. Piaget considers it necessary to talk not just about perception, but about the process - perceptual activity. Examining an object from different angles, observing an object in motion. Such activity is the precursor to intellectual activity. It is possible to combine different points of view.

Now skill and intelligence. Traditionally, it is understood that a skill is developed gradually. And an intellectual act (for example, insight) occurs as if suddenly, qualitatively changing the situation. The skill is a blind search, it is developed through random trials with elimination of errors. On the contrary, intelligence always involves some kind of hypothesis, anticipation of the situation and then testing and clarification.

Next is a departure from the traditional idea of ​​skill. Piaget's main book was published in 1947. In the same year, a book by N.A. was published in our country. Bernstein "On the construction of movements." It turns out that these books contain the most interesting single idea: a skill can be considered as the construction of a movement, as the fulfillment of a motor task. But because the task usually involves an intellectual search action, which means that skill and intelligence have something in common.

Even elementary forms of skill, even if they are not skills, but innate reflexes, have something of intelligence. Namely. Intelligence is an adaptation to reality. One process is assimilation (mastering the material in existing schemes), and the other process is accommodation (changing schemes). So a skill has at least one of these characteristics. Even innate reflexes extend to new situations.

The simplest innate reflex is sucking. In a certain body position, the child experiences this important reflex for life. This act of sucking usually extends to new objects, the innate pattern of action extending to new situations. This means that sooner or later we have to take into account the peculiarities of objects and situations. This means that sooner or later you will have to change the original innate patterns.

What is the criterion for the development of sensorimotor intelligence? This type is distributed from birth until the appearance of speech. This 1.5-2 years has a rather complex development history. Finally, her sensorimotor intelligence is responsible for the coordination of perception and motor skills. On the one hand there is a diagram of the object and on the other there are various reasonable actions with the object. Since there is a scheme of action, there is also a scheme of the object.

Performance- this is the mental process of reflecting in a person’s consciousness objects (objects or phenomena) of the real environment, the sensory-visual images of which have been preserved thanks to his previous perceptual experience. Representation makes a significant contribution to the overall cognitive process. It, in particular:
- allows you to do without repeated direct contact (meeting) with the object, when once again its image will be in demand for active actions with it;
- ensures the accumulation of information about the real world in a condensed, compact perceptual form;
- forms an a priori (pre-experimental) attitude of the individual towards the perceived object (according to Leonardo da Vinci, “you can neither love nor hate anything until you get a clear idea about it”).

Ideas are a multifactorial product, depending on the individual characteristics of a person, the purpose of the image being formed, etc.

Basic properties of views

Visibility. A person represents the image of a once perceived object exclusively in visual form. Reproduction of images of objects that occurs during presentation is most often associated with the loss of a number of their identifying features, with “blurred” outlines. In this regard, the clarity of representations is poorer than the clarity of perception, which ensures the reflection of objects at a given moment.

Fragmentation. The representation of an object is always associated with uneven reproduction of its various parts. Those of them that, in previous perceptual experience, were under greater human attention due to their significance or attractiveness are more clearly reproduced.

Instability. The image of an object as a whole (or its parts) reproduced at a given moment in time can be retained in consciousness only for a short time. The image will “float away”, and the next time you try to reproduce it, only the details will be clearly reflected.

Generality. Whatever the history of previous perceptual experience, the reproduced image each time includes the most informative (by some criteria) features that make up the essence of the object. This is why the term generalized representations arose.

View Functions

Signal function consists in generating signals relating to those properties of the represented object that can be used in real human activity. The point is that reproducing the image of an object is not limited only to its visual representation. It is accompanied by various information about this object (for example, its taste, the possibility of practical use in specific situations, etc.). This additional information plays the role of signals influencing human activity or its structural elements.

According to I. Pavlov, ideas often arise according to a pattern similar to the appearance of conditioned reflexes. In other words, ideas are the first signals that dictate the activity of a person as a whole. Just the idea of ​​a sour lemon can make a person grimace. An official who is late for a business meeting will almost automatically speed up his pace if he imagines the displeased face of his boss.

Regulatory function is aimed at selecting those properties of the represented object that are required precisely under given conditions for the effective performance of certain actions. So, if the idea “paints” a picture of overcoming some obstacle that may arise on the path of movement, then in the imagined image of the obstacle a person will look for something that will help him solve this problem (workarounds, a rope, a ladder, etc.) . An example of the pragmatic use of this function is the anonymous use by attending physicians of a placebo (a drug that has no medicinal value) to purposefully replace the real pharmacological effect of the drug with the psychological reaction of the patient, who in his mind forms the image of the healing use of a real drug.

In auto-training, due to the formation of visual images (self-hypnosis), it is possible to relieve mental tension, pain, and control the heart rate. All this is based on the influence of representation on human organic processes. Images of the future desired state that appear in the imagination control well-being through the subconscious.

Setting function contributes to the formation of a program of action specified by the parameters of the current or upcoming situation. Thus, the reproduced motor image prepares (sets up) the implementation of the corresponding movements. A person who intends to prepare firewood, firstly, will choose an ax or a cleaver for this, but not a hammer or a plane. Secondly, he has already mentally “revived” the movements that he will have to perform, preparing himself for this procedure.

Motor acts are directly influenced by the representation. For example, it is worth imagining that a load suspended on a thread and held at arm's length is rotating clockwise, and after some time it will actually begin to make such movements. Such phenomena are called ideomotor acts (Greek idea - idea, image; Lat. motor - movement, action). The essence of ideomotor acts is the transformation of the idea of ​​muscle movement into the actual execution of this movement. In other words, the very thought of a specific movement is accompanied by a subtle actual movement of the hands, eyes, head or body.

Previously, it was believed that ideomotor acts are exclusively involuntary, hidden from the consciousness of the individual performing them. Modern views allow the existence of conscious movements accompanying the process of representation.

The physiological mechanism of ideomotor is explained in different ways. According to I. Pavlov, the leading role here belongs to effector impulses coming from certain cells of the cerebral cortex. Another explanation is related to the position on the circular regulation of movements put forward by N. Bernstein. In accordance with this position, the leading role in ideomotor is played by feedback signals coming from the movement organs.

The phenomenon of ideomotor acts is often “exploited” by various types of magicians and psychics in their performances on stage. Possessing increased sensitivity to micromovements of muscles during ideomotor acts, invisible to an external observer, they can often guess what another person is planning, delighting the audience. In the processes of business and interpersonal communication, ideomotor reactions caused by the presentation of the interlocutor are used to assess his emotional state.

Target. The use of the concept of “goal” and the related concepts of purposefulness, purposefulness, and expediency are hampered by the difficulty of their unambiguous interpretation in specific conditions. This is due to the fact that the process of goal setting and the corresponding process of justifying goals in organizational systems is very complex and not fully understood. Much attention is paid to its research in psychology, philosophy, and cybernetics. The Great Soviet Encyclopedia defines a goal as “a pre-conceivable result of a person’s conscious activity.” In practical applications target- this is an ideal aspiration that allows the team to see prospects or real opportunities that ensure the timely completion of the next stage on the path to ideal aspirations.

Currently, due to the strengthening of program-target principles in planning, the study of patterns of goal formation and presentation of goals in specific conditions is receiving more and more attention. For example: energy program, food program, housing program, program for the transition to a market economy.

Lecture 5: Goal and goal setting

1. The concept and essence of the goal.

2. Regularities of goal setting.

3. Forms and types of presentation of goal structures.

4. Methods for structuring and analyzing the goals and functions of management systems.

5. Focused approach. Goal-oriented and goal-oriented systems.

The highest level of goal-setting in education is not only the creation of some skills, but also meaningful activity, an understanding of what people do, why and what is behind it - this will help achieve success in business. Those who have achieved this goal in a civilized way say that a successful organization is not one that sets the main goal of enrichment and profit, but the transformation of the surrounding world. This is the highest goal of business education – to bring the student to a new level of understanding, worldview and thinking.

1. Goal and goal setting.

Goal setting

Goal formation is the process of generating new goals in human activity, one of the manifestations of thinking. Goal formation can be both involuntary and voluntary, characterized by temporal dynamics. There are a number of goal formation mechanisms: transformation of a received requirement into an individual goal, selection of one of the existing requirements, transformation of motives into motive-goals when they are realized, transformation of side results of an action into a goal, transformation of unconscious anticipations into a goal, identification of intermediate goals, transition from preliminary to final goals, formation of a hierarchy and time sequence of goals. Research on goal setting forms one of the important areas of psychological analysis of activity (individual and joint): the dependence of goal setting on the motivation of activity, the role of emotions in acts of goal setting, assessments of the achievability of results, and the relationship between general and specific goals are studied. The analysis of goal formation is carried out in a functional plan, in terms of the historical development of the psyche, ontogenetic (see.Ontogenesis ) development of the psyche and biological prehistory of goals as conscious images of future results of action.

A goal is a conscious image of an anticipated result, towards which a person’s action is aimed. In psychology, the concept of goal is also used in the following meanings: a formal description of the final situations that any self-regulating functioning system strives to achieve; anticipated useful result (image of the “necessary future” according to N. A. Bernstein), which determines the integrity and direction of the organism’s behavior. The idea of ​​a goal as an anticipated useful result is used in the analysis of the biological background of the emergence of a person’s perceived goal and the study of psychophysiological mechanisms for regulating purposeful behavioral acts. The concept of a goal as a conscious image of an anticipated result is used in the study of voluntary intentional actions, which represent a specific feature of human activity (see. Acceptor of action results). The basis for the formation of a person’s goal is his material, work activity aimed at transforming the world around him.

Bernshtein Nikolay Alexandrovich

Bernstein Nikolai Aleksandrovich (1896-1966) - Soviet (Russian) psychophysiologist. Created and applied new methods for studying human movements. An analysis of the results obtained allowed Bernstein to formulate the position that the acquisition of a skill is not due to the repetition of the same innervation commands, but to the development of the ability to solve a motor problem anew each time. Bernstein showed that the movement is guided by a model of a needed future. The general theory of movement construction that he created (see Levels of movement construction concept) is set out in the monograph “On the Construction of Movement” (1947). Bernstein's subsequent work was devoted to studying the fundamentals of the physiology of activity.

Acceptor of action results

Acceptor of action results - (from the Latin acceptor - accepting) - a psychological mechanism for foreseeing and assessing the results of action in functional systems. The term was introduced by P.K. Anokhin in 1955. In the information aspect, the acceptor of the results of an action is an “information equivalent of the result”, extracted from memory in the decision-making process, determining the organization of the motor activity of the body in a behavioral act and comparing the result with its “advanced reflection” ". If they coincide, the implemented functional scheme disintegrates, the body can move on to other goal-directed behavior, in case of partial discrepancy, amendments are introduced to the action program; in case of complete discrepancy, indicative-exploratory behavior develops.

Target – one of the most complex concepts, the study of which is given much attention in philosophy, psychology, cybernetics, and systems theory.

When in the history of mankind were goal-setting formulas born: “I set a goal, I’m going towards it”? I think in the time of the nomads: “Reach a certain point before sunset.” So people began to arrange goals in space and time. What is the origin of the word goal in English? Ultimately, the term comes from the concept of “limit”, “obstacle”. Aspiration is translated as “aspiration”. But what is the difference between aspiration and a goal? How do they relate? Humanity from the time of nomads to the present time (remember SMART) thinks linearly, in terms of end points: the goal is the point at which I must arrive (G. Konstantinov, professor at the Higher School of Economics).

2.What happens to me when I start making my strategic decisions in terms of endpoints? What do I have to lose? I lose the process: both the beam and the starting point disappear. I have point A, point B and a plan to move from A to B. But A is in reality, and where is point B? In my head. Where is the logic? Are you going from this hall into your own head? Is it possible? Let's assume the existence of two axes: the “axis of reality” and the “mentality”. If I located point A at the origin, this means that my idea of ​​reality is adequate to reality. And point B is on the mental coordinate. Now I will take certain steps, all of which will take place in reality, and after some time I will be at point A1 on the “axis of reality”. What will happen to the mental point? She will move too. Where? Towards reality. Point B1 will mean that I achieved the goal and got the result. This is the only way to eliminate the logical contradiction that arises when we claim that we are moving from reality to mentality. Point B1 in this logic is the projection of my mental structure onto the reality in which I act. Remember the old army joke “from the fence to lunch”: the meaning of the statement is clear, but the points “fence” and “dinner” lie in different planes - one in space, the other in time. When we say that we will solve strategic problems in terms of endpoints, the question arises: “Which endpoints? Real or mental? Does a SMART goal affect your perception of reality? Yes. A rigidly set long-term goal changes the perception of reality: you find yourself captive to your own strategy.

3. Then a very strange effect arises: I will not notice anything that does not correspond to my strategy. This means that when I reach my goal, there is a first moment when I can look around the world and determine where I really am. How do I feel about this? 41% of those who achieved their goal experience stress and disappointment. The highest meaning, I agree, may lie outside of life, but the goal is within. If you can get people to set goals and stick to them, that means you can manage them. How does a vision of the future differ from a goal? Let's clarify the terms. I understand aspiration as an internal decision, intention as a formalized aspiration. There is a goal, there is aspiration, there are intentions. Next I move on to activities.

4. Let me ask a question: “Where is happiness? In the process or at the end point? :). The nomad experienced happiness when he reached his goal. This is a linear mental construct. But does it always work? New knowledge expands our capabilities and previous “truths” may lose relevance. What is more important: the end point or the process of movement? It is impossible to separate these concepts from each other, but which one should we focus strategic decisions on? At any stage, I can ask myself the question: “What is the meaning of my activity?” Meaning is not lying around on the road, you have to look for it. Viktor Frankl, who went through the horrors of a concentration camp, associates meaning with freedom.

5. What does a rigidly set goal do to your freedom of choice? She limits him. Let's return to the vision of the future: it is this that sets the meaning. What is the future? We cannot reason in the linear construct of a nomad, because life changes very quickly, like a rapid crown fire in a forest. Many processes of modern life need to be discussed “in the logic of a crown fire,” and not in the linear topology of a nomad. The increasing speed of events while increasing uncertainty forces us to focus more on the process rather than the end points. The author of the book “Black Swan” Nassim Taleb believes that the future is unpredictable: a “black swan” can appear at any time, anywhere.

6. So, there is a vision of the future. There is a business model - a formalized description of a cash flow generator - this design answers the question: “How will I keep cash flow at the level I need in a competitive environment?” and determines my activities over a short horizon. The result of all strategic work should be an understanding of one strategic step. This step is your plan. The remaining structures exist in the thought field. A step-by-step process arises, and this is the only option, in my opinion, in which workable process logic is possible. Where is the business model fixed? My observations show that most often it is in the heads of top managers.

7. When does a company first encounter the formalization of a business model? A budget can be considered a very rough description of a business model. If I accept that business is a competitive game, then I must accept that I may be stronger or weaker than the competitor, and the plan will not help me. The logic of planning implies complete certainty about the future and the absence of competitors. At the same time, companies can compete not for consumers' money, but for investors' money, and this competition is not related to profitability. In the logic of personal strategies, the function of a business model is performed by the architecture of a person’s personal assets. As an example, I can give the story of a specific person. He was a highly successful financial analyst for a long time. At some stage of his life, he thought about the meaning of activity. What do you think he is doing now? He has a small windsurfing school. It moves across planet Earth following the wind. This is not downshifting. This is a different interpretation of the meaning of activity. He makes money, although less than what he made as a financial analyst.

8. As soon as there is a change in the vision of the future, the entire strategy ceases to be relevant. Why is it easier for me to approach this topic on a personal level? Because here it is clearly visible that profit is not the goal of the company, but a “by-product” of the company’s activities. This is especially clearly seen in the example of new economy companies, but this topic deserves separate consideration.

9. At the level of personal strategy, health is a universal indicator of development. At the corporate level we can talk about financial health. If you are going to improve your own health, first of all you need to take care of your head. In my opinion, this can be done by mastering complex, previously unmastered forms of motor activity. When you learn a new physical activity, it puts a huge strain on your brain. For companies in the new economy, longevity is a criterion. What does the survival rate of startups at 1.5-2% indicate? This is similar to the demographics of third world countries: the mortality rate is high, but the birth rate is also high. The corporate strength of an early-stage startup lies in its ability to appeal to investors. In the next stages, the startup will face other challenges. The nomad moves to survive. And a windsurfer is there to have fun. In a former life, the man whose example we discussed moved with great speed - he flew on business on airplanes, but now he moves with the winds blowing over the surface of the Earth.

10. What does he say about himself? Very simple things: “At some point I suddenly felt that I couldn’t live without it. This became the meaning of the activity. This instantly eliminated all risks. At this stage of his life, he found himself here. As soon as the semantic structure changes, a person’s environment may change. Your loved ones may not accept your new meanings. Learn to love yourself, for what? To be able to love others. You can give an example of a strategic process in which there is no goal at all. We say, “Is the outside world challenging you?” What is a challenge? What is the difference between a challenge and an opportunity? A challenge is a very specific opportunity. You have been challenged to a duel: you have been placed in a situation of choice that you cannot avoid. Whatever choice you make in this case, the consequences will be significant: you can be killed in a duel, or if you avoid participating in the duel, you will lose your reputation. Let’s build a “Challenges/Stresses” matrix for these purposes. This is a SWOT analysis in dynamics, in speed. SWOT analysis sets the field of forces, but there is another component in our matrix: speed. The criterion for systemic stress is conflicts between people.

The concept of goal and the associated concepts of expediency, purposefulness, and goal setting underlie the functioning and development of a complex system. The process of goal setting and the corresponding process of justifying goals in organizational systems is very complex. The use of the concept of “goal” and the related concepts of purposefulness, purposefulness, and expediency are hampered by the difficulty of their unambiguous interpretation in specific conditions. This is due to the fact that the process of goal setting and the corresponding process of justifying goals in organizational systems is very complex and not fully understood. Throughout the entire period of development of philosophy and theory of knowledge, ideas about the goal developed.

Depending on the stages object cognition, stage system analysis of an object, various shades are put into the concept of “goal” - from ideal aspirations (goal - " expression of consciousness activity"; "man and social systems have the right to formulate goals, the achievement of which is impossible, but which can be continuously approached") to specific goals - final results, achievable within a certain time interval, sometimes formulated even in terms of the final product of activity. ( My definition : goal - desired state ).

A.V. Antonov - the goal is the desired result of the development of the system. The formulated goal of the system analysis will determine the entire further complex of work. Therefore, goals must be realistic. Setting realistic goals will direct all systems analysis activities toward achieving a specific useful outcome.

In definitions, the goal is transformed within a conventional scale - from ideal aspirations to the material final result of activity. A goal is what a person strives for and fights for (“struggles” implies achievability within a certain time interval). In a number of works, the goal is understood as a “model of the desired future.” “A dream is a goal that is not provided with the means to achieve it.”

The contradiction contained in the concept of “goal” is the need to be an incentive to action, a “leading reflection” and at the same time a material embodiment of this idea, i.e. to be achievable has been evident since the very origin of this concept. The ancient Indian "artha" meant simultaneously motive, reason, desire, goal and even - sp esp.

There was no term “goal” in the Russian language at all. It is borrowed from German, close to the concepts of target, finish, point of impact. In the English language there are several shades of the concept of goal within the considered “scale”: purpose (goal-intention, will) object (goal-direction) aim (sight, indication) goal (goal of the destination, task) target (goal-target, task , plan) end (finish, end, limit). (examples for various systems)

The depth of the dialectical-materialist interpretation of the concept of goal is revealed in the theory of knowledge, which shows the interconnection of the concepts of goal, evaluation, means, integrity (and its self-motion)

I agree that if increasing your self-efficacy allows you to always achieve your goals, then this is the path to happiness. However, we should think about whether we are setting goals correctly? Or is a highly effective person always setting the right goals? Because if we assume that the goal is set incorrectly, then achieving it will not bring happiness.

(discussion club)

Andrey noted that before setting a goal, you should audit your personal resource. And changing the idea of ​​your resource changes the idea of ​​yourself. That is, the probability of making a mistake in setting a goal in this case should be small. But the question remains open for me.

TSB gives a definition: a goal is “a pre-conceivable result of the conscious activity of a person or group of people.”

In real situations, it is necessary to stipulate in what sense at this stage of consideration of the system of use. the concept of “goal”, which to a greater extent d.b. reflected in its wording - ideal aspirations, that will help the team of decision makers see prospects , or real opportunities, ensuring the timely completion of the next stage on the path to the desired future.

In self-organizing systems: the goal is the extremum of the system's existence functional. (examples) Objective function is a concept in mathematical programming and optimization theory, meaning the extremum of the maximum or min) which needs to be found. The objective function becomes an optimality criterion.

Currently, due to the strengthening of program-target principles in planning, the study of patterns of goal formation and presentation of goals in specific conditions is receiving more and more attention. For example: energy program, food program, housing program, demographic program.

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