Most of us have goals in life, and whilst it’s well known that sharing our goals with other people has a considerable impact on our success rate, there is another fascinating social aspect of goal setting that is perhaps less well known, but it was the subject of a recent study from New York University.

The study explored the socialization of our goals in the sense that we tend to assume, somewhat irrationally, that other people share the same goals as we do, especially when we’re very committed to achieving that goal.

“If we’re fixated on seeing that blockbuster film or purchasing those fresh strawberries, we’re more likely to see others wanting to do the same,” the authors explain. “These assumptions may unnecessarily spur a competitive spirit and, with it, more aggressive behavior.”

Projecting our goals

The study focused on what is known as ‘goal projection’, which is when we attempt to understand the goals of others by projecting our own onto them.  In other words, we make the assumption that their goals are the same as our goals.

The researchers tested the theory in a number of real life situations, including at a train station, a cinema and a supermarket.

At the cinema, for instance, participants were recruited from the queue of people buying a ticket for a film.  They were asked what movie they were hoping to see and how important it was for them to see that film.  They also asked each person which movie they thought the person at the head of the queue was hoping to see.

The results revealed that the more strongly the participant wished to see a particular movie, the more likely they were to believe the person at the front of the line was also hoping to watch the same film.

Heading my way

The finding was replicated when the researchers headed to the train station.  One of the busiest in town, with dozens of departures to numerous destinations every hour, the team recruited participants stood waiting for their platform to be announced.

Just as with the first experiment, participants were asked where they were going, and how important it was for them to catch that train.  They then picked out another person waiting for their train and again, asked where they thought that person was going.  Just as in the first experiment, those who really needed to catch their own train were more likely to believe the stranger was going to the same destination they were.

A similar finding emerged from a third experiment in a shopping centre, with shoppers revealed to be more likely to perceive fellow shoppers as having a similar shopping list to them if they were desperate to obtain certain things.

Interestingly however, this projection only took place when the goal had yet to materialize.  As soon as people had achieved their target, the projection vanished.

“After purchasing their groceries, these shoppers, compared to those who were about to shop, were less likely to think others wanted the same products,” the authors explain. “This suggests there is a competitive aspect to goal projection—we think others are after the same things if we have yet to obtain them.”

We all have things that we’re passionate about and want to achieve in life, whether that’s something personal to us or to our teams and organizations.  The study reminds us that what may be incredibly important to us might not be so to other people, and it’s dangerous to project our values onto others.

With organizational change projects so often doomed to failure, it does beg the question of how often this occurs.