In light of the fact that many working families are poor, do not have health insurance, or live from paycheck to paycheck is one of the biggest issues facing urban government leaders. While the welfare programs are designed to help those who do not work, programs to assist those that do work are inadequate at best. Yet, the idea of helping working families calls into question what goals are needed to ensure the clear definition and steps that are needed for success. Unclear or ambiguous goals are exhibited by many government organizations. This ambiguity often permits personal attitudes and opinions to shape the direction of employee’s behavior because of a lack of clearly defined goals. Many people complain of the vast gulf between the goals of a government organization and its actual performance. However, Wilson (34) points to the need for clear goals to promote maximum efficiency and success in the government organization, without which these complaints are misdirected “That only makes sense if the goals are sufficiently clear that reasonable people can agree on what they mean, and whether the agency has the freedom of action (the authority and resources) necessary to achieve them. A clear goal is an operational goal.”
The reason operational goals are so important to achieving success in the government organization is because in the absence of clear goals or the authority and resources to achieve them, government employees’ behavior will be directed by something other than organizational directives. Instead, without clear goals that direct operation, employees will take actions that are based on experiences at previous places of employment, their own beliefs and attitudes, and from external pressures. Therefore, the need for clear operational goals is apparent in government administration. Many times, as Wilson highlights through his example of the conflicting goals of the
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