The Importance of Setting Team Goals

Team goals are essential for a successful team as they create a collaborative environment and overall good working culture. As they contribute to overall team success they should be something that you look to implement into your business if you haven’t already.

 Why should you be setting team goals?

They help with team spirit

Now and again a team needs something to pick them up, especially if they feel like they have been going against the tide for a while. Having something for the team to work towards together can lift the mood and improve communication and therefore productivity. Make sure your team knows what their purpose is so that each individual can get involved. As a leader, you would like all of the team to be as motivated as you to achieve the goals, however, sometimes the team can lose sight of the overall company goals and therefore can lose the joint purpose.

Bigger picture

The goals which are set must be part of the business objectives and link back to bigger goals you are trying to achieve. They should always support the wider business goal. For example, if you need a final push to hit the business sales target for the year, you may make a smaller goal to strive for and create a competition which helps with this. These goals should be meaningful to the individual completing them, if they are not they may not motivate them to achieve them. Here is where your knowledge of the team dynamic will enable you to set motivating goals with meaning. 

Measurable

You must be able to measure the success of the goals as without measuring you will not effectively be able to see if you have reached the goal put in place. Ensure that the goals are SMART; Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Timely. This will give the team direction- the goal gives a clear set of instructions on what to focus on. Smart goals are aligned to company goals and therefore benefit both the employee and the business.

Plan of how to get there

To have an effective goal it must be realistic and there should be a clear plan of how to get there. This doesn’t have to all happen at once, it could be in bitesize chunks throughout the year which ensures that you will reach the final goal.

Incentivise team goals

You should consider having an incentive for your team to work towards, whether that be a social event or a cash incentive. This will help to drive the team forward with their goals and have more than just the goals to work towards, a group incentive should mean that employees push each other to do well. Although they may not always be monetary incentives, only you know what will motivate each employee, so you should know what incentives are best to work towards.