Imagine designing a customer survey.
You want to know what your customers think of your product.
And while you are at it, you might as well ask them their age, gender, email.
Perhaps get them to even upload a selfie, so that the best one gets a prize. Gamification, as they say it.
Imagine inviting applications for an open role.
You want people to submit their resume.
And while you are at it, you might as well ask for their current compensation, expected compensation, references.
Perhaps get them to upload their marksheets, so that your database can be complete.
As I look back, I see most of my unsuccessful endeavors lying in the bracket of “One Task – Multiple Goals”
Rarely works
Instead – optimize your task for one and one goal alone. Recognize that everything else you add is most likely adding friction to the process. Lowering your chances of getting to the objective.
The survey is only to gather responses
The application is only to gather resumes
The campaign is only to gather traffic
The product is listed only to drive sales
The merchant is acquired only to generate trust
The task is meant to accomplish only one goal!
I would partially agree with you on this (at least this one :), e.g. The survey is only to gather responses, however we also need to keep in mind what we needed the survey for at the first place, may be because of X and why we need X because of Y.. and so on. It ends or begins at a more broader Objective of your company. So in the shorter term you might think that you just need responses from your survey, but eventually there is a different goal which you want to achieve and this is just one the sub goals. And that is why may be people have multiple goals from one task.