Business English from All Ears English BE 499: Do You Move the Goalposts on Your English?
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Dec 4, 2025 Lindsay and Michelle dive into goal setting and the psychology of changing expectations. They explore the idiom 'move the goalposts,' discussing its origins and implications in the workplace. Listeners learn about realistic goal setting based on past data and the concept of the 'hungry ghost' in pursuit of achievement. The duo contrasts negative and positive uses of the idiom, shares examples from negotiations and team dynamics, and emphasizes the importance of clear communication when adjusting goals.
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Root Goals In Reality
- Goal setting should be rooted in reality and past performance, not wishful thinking.
- Lindsay says adjusting goals based on last year's data makes forecasts more accurate.
What Moving The Goalposts Means
- Moving the goalposts means changing the target so it becomes different or harder to achieve.
- Michelle explains this comes from sports and often increases difficulty or shifts expectations.
Negotiation Restarted By Renegotiation
- Lindsay gives a negotiation example where the other side renegotiated after agreement and forced a restart.
- She uses this to show how moving goalposts signals bad faith in deals.