Goal setting is more than just a professional requirement—it’s the key to unlocking your potential as an occupational therapist.
Listen to our interview with Amita Rajan from our Quality Assurance team about the importance of goal setting—why it’s important, how it supports your growth, and the impact it can have on your practice.
Have more questions? Contact our Quality Assurance team at qaprogram@coto.org.
See the companion resource: Mapping a Path to Success: Goal Setting Made Simple
Transcript
[Joe Smith-Engelhardt]: Welcome to COTO on Topic. I’m Joe, and today, we’re talking about goal setting—why it’s important, how it supports your growth, and the impact it can have on your practice.
Joining me today is Amita from our Quality Assurance team. Thanks for being here Amita.
[Amita Rajan]: Thanks Joe.
[Smith-Engelhardt]: Each year, registrants complete a learning plan as part of their quality assurance requirements, focusing on professional growth and the impact of new learning. This year’s plan is now available, and a key part of the process is setting goals early and working toward them throughout the year.
Amita, why is goal setting important for occupational therapists?
[Rajan]: Goal setting is the key to unlocking your potential as an occupational therapist.
It helps capture your strengths as well as areas for development and keeps you on track to reach your targets.
It can also help with making practical changes to an OTs practice and enhance client outcomes and experiences.
[Smith-Engelhardt]: And every year, OTs are required to set goals related to the Competencies for Occupational Therapists in Canada as part of their quality assurance requirements.
What competencies were OTs focusing on during last year’s QA requirements?
[Rajan]: In 2024, the top 5 competencies selected by OTs when they were setting their goals were culture, equity & justice, record keeping, contributing to the learning of other OTs, ongoing learning and professional development and showing leadership in their workplace.
[Smith-Engelhardt]: That’s a great mix. Some OTs may be wondering where to begin when setting their own goals. What are some of the questions that the QA team recommends OTs consider that can help guide them?
[Rajan]: Starting with a meaningful goal is key. OTs used questions like these to inspire their goals.
What are the new or emerging needs in my practice? What knowledge and skills would help me to meet these needs? What have I observed from others that I want to incorporate into my practice? And is there feedback from clients, colleagues or supervisors that informs these goals?
[Smith-Engelhardt]: Those are great starting points. Once an occupational therapist has an idea of their goals, how should they structure them? Do you have any examples?
[Rajan]: We received great goal statements from occupational therapists in both clinical and non-clinical practices.
A great example of a goal statement we saw from someone in a clinical practice setting said:
“To expand my skill set, in the next six months, I will complete five Initial Neurology Assessments with clients that have experienced work-related concussions. I will assess my progress by meeting with my supervisor to review my documentation and receive feedback for future assessments.”
This goal statement is strong because it clearly outlines what the OT wants to achieve, how they will measure progress, and the steps they’ll take to succeed. It sets a clear target, ensures the goal is realistic and relevant to their practice, and includes a timeline to stay on track.
There are also lots of OTs who work in non-clinical or mixed practice. Great goals for this group look different but have the same main parts. An OT in non-clinical practice shared a goal statement that we also thought was a great example, saying:
“I will learn two new frameworks, strategies or perspectives pertaining to Indigenous peoples in Ontario that I can use towards supporting culturally safer practice in the clinic in the upcoming year. I will share this information with the team during our weekly huddle meeting by October.”
[Smith-Engelhardt]: Thanks for sharing those, they both sound like great goal statements.
Moving onto the impacts of setting good goals for the year, I’m sure OTs are wondering how this helps them in their practice. What kind of impact did OTs report after setting and working toward their goals?
[Rajan]: From what OTs shared with us, the top five impacts that goals had on their practice were better client outcomes, improved client safety, increased collaboration, enhanced therapeutic rapport, and an increase in evidence-based practice.
[Smith-Engelhardt]: It’s great to hear how goal setting can make such a real difference in practice.
And to help with that, the QA program put together a resource that guides OTs through the process using the SMART structure. Amita, can you share how this can help OTs as they plan their goals for the year?
[Rajan]: Yes, so the QA program, including a student OT, has created a worksheet that uses the SMART structure so OTs can complete their annual learning plans in a simple way. OTs can use it to capture ideas as they begin to think about their goals for the year, or they can use it while writing their goal statements.
For anyone who isn’t aware of what the SMART structure is, it’s an easy way to know if your goals are effective. SMART stands for Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound.
Being specific means thinking about exactly what you want to accomplish. The clearer your goal, the easier it is to stay focused.
Next is Measurable—ask yourself, how will you track progress? What will tell you that you’ve reached your goal?
Achievable means making sure the goal is attainable and reasonable. Your goal should be realistic and within reach.
Relevant means making sure your goal connects to your practice.
And finally, Time-bound—setting a timeline helps you stay on track with your goal throughout the year.
[Smith-Engelhardt]: It sounds like that worksheet will be very helpful for OTs as they get started on setting their goals for the year. Thanks for joining me today, Amita.
Setting goals is a valuable way to grow as an OT and improve the care you provide. If you have any questions or need guidance, our Quality Assurance team is here to help. You can reach them at qaprogram@coto.org.
If you found this episode helpful, share it with a colleague and stay tuned for more insightful conversations. Thanks for listening.