Editing Goal setting (section)

=== Combining learning and performance goals ===
In workplace settings employees are often expected to achieve performance outcomes at tasks that are moderately complex and require learning new things. As noted above, setting performance goals can cause difficulties and lower performance compared to a "do your best" condition when prerequisite skills, strategies and knowledge are not in place which may be due to a [[Cognitive load|cognitive load effect]] arising from the demands of complex tasks for relative novices.  For these sorts of complex task situations learning and performance goals can be used effectively in combination if logically connected.<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Masuda|first1=Aline D.|last2=Locke|first2=Edwin A.|last3=Williams|first3=Kevin J.|date=2015-01-02|title=The effects of simultaneous learning and performance goals on performance: An inductive exploration|url=https://doi.org/10.1080/20445911.2014.982128|journal=Journal of Cognitive Psychology|volume=27|issue=1|pages=37–52|doi=10.1080/20445911.2014.982128|s2cid=143855907|issn=2044-5911|url-access=subscription}}</ref> Furthermore, while learning goals do tend to be most effective for new and complex tasks requiring complex application of strategy to achieve the task this does not mean that learning goals will be motivational enough on their own to ensure that the new strategies are used and an additional performance goal could motivate employees to actually use the discovered or acquired strategies to attain the desired outcome.<ref name=":1" />