How to set team goals may be easier than you think. For example, a few years ago I spent 15 minutes each with two production departments. The department managers and I had previously discussed improving teamwork by developing team goals. We wanted the team to be integral in creating the goals. We started small. Our first goal for both departments was to improve work area cleanliness. Both teams were good at keeping their workplace tidy, but they wanted to be even better. They wanted to go from good to great.
How to Set Team Goals in 15 minutes
Where Do You Begin?
After deciding on the goal, which was improving departmental cleanliness and organization, we set a time to meet with the teams. We set the tone of the meeting as follows:
- Team members stood around a high table
- We introduced the goal topic and purpose
- Each member was given a goal sheet (below) and pen
- We explained activity based goal setting. You cannot do a goal. To achieve results one must identify activities to continue, improve, or stop
- The group chose objective criteria to define improved housekeeping, for example, a clean and uncluttered work area floor.
- Each team member was called upon to contribute
- The team chose activities to implement
- A review schedule was set to revisit the goal
Example Goal Setting Form
Team Member: _____________ Today’s Date: ______________Goal Begins: _______________
Review Dates: ______ _______ ______ ______Ends: ____________
The goal
_______________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
Activities to stop
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
Activities to improve
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
Other activities
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
Activities to add
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
Aiding and/or hindering conditions
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
Team member x_________________________Date___________
It’s a Team Goal!
Both departments improved there areas cleanliness and organization. Progress was made because the entire team was invested. They suggested the activities, and formed the plan.
When team members are asked for their ideas and opinions, when they’re tasked with forming a plan to improve the team, ownership is created. And teams that take ownership excel. How does your team set goals?
How Can I Help You?
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Does your business have a management training plan? Businesses and universities use my book, The New Manager’s Workbook, a crash course in effective management, as the basis for their leadership development program. I’m also available to conduct training.
Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay
Of course, team work makes a huge difference and it is really important to perform it in an effective way, setting necessary goals. It is so cool that you shared a strategy of setting team goals in 15 minutes because really often it is considered a difficult task which requires a huge amount of thoughtfulness and painstaking work. I think that it is possible to perform everything at a high level faster than you usually do because we are used to complicating our life, which is not right or effective. It is just important to know the right methods and techniques. I really like this mentioned plan because I think that it is a well-thought-out strategy which helps your team to structure and regularize everything in the head, concentrating on significant points. For me, one of the keys to successful teamwork is cohesion because if you take the suggestions of each other into account and respect the opinion of each other, it is much easier to set effective goals.