What are the best practices for setting team goals?

1 Understand the vision

Before you can set team goals, you need to understand the bigger picture of what your team is trying to achieve. What is the vision or mission of your organization, department, or project? How does your team contribute to that vision? What are the strategic priorities and objectives that guide your work? By answering these questions, you can align your team goals with the vision and ensure that they are relevant, meaningful, and impactful.

2 Involve your team

Setting team goals should not be a top-down exercise where you dictate what your team should do. Instead, it should be a collaborative and participative process where you solicit input, feedback, and ideas from your team members. By involving your team, you can tap into their expertise, creativity, and motivation, as well as increase their ownership and commitment to the goals. You can also foster a culture of trust, transparency, and accountability within your team.

3 Use the SMART criteria

One of the most widely used frameworks for setting team goals is the SMART criteria, which stands for Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound. By using these criteria, you can ensure that your team goals are clear, realistic, and trackable. Specific goals state what, who, where, when, why, and how of the desired outcome. Measurable goals quantify the results or indicators of success. Achievable goals are challenging but within the reach of your team's resources and capabilities. Relevant goals are aligned with the vision and priorities of your organization, department, or project. Time-bound goals have a deadline or a schedule for completion.

4 Communicate and document

Once you have set your team goals, you need to communicate and document them clearly and consistently. You need to explain the rationale, expectations, and benefits of the goals to your team members, as well as to other stakeholders who may be affected by or involved in your work. You also need to document the goals in a written format that is accessible and visible to everyone. This will help you avoid confusion, ambiguity, and misunderstanding, as well as provide a reference point for monitoring and reviewing the goals.

5 Monitor and review

Setting team goals is not a one-time event, but an ongoing process that requires regular monitoring and review. You need to track the progress and performance of your team against the goals, using the measures and indicators that you defined. You also need to review the goals periodically, using feedback and data, to assess their relevance, effectiveness, and impact. You may need to adjust, update, or revise the goals based on changing circumstances, challenges, or opportunities. By monitoring and reviewing the goals, you can celebrate achievements, identify gaps, address issues, and improve outcomes.

6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?