How to Set Team Goals that Drive Success

Most managers know how important it is to set goals for themselves and their teams. Without some form of direction, teams will meander and just deal with the urgent things that crop up every day.

As leaders, the crucial task of team goal setting falls on your shoulders — it’s your responsibility to establish what needs to get done, what tasks to delegate to whom, and how to bring everyone together to meet every objective. 

When employees have a clear understanding of company objectives and how their work collectively contributes to reaching these, they become an aligned, motivated, and higher-performing workforce — exactly what drives business success. 

With goals to aim for, teams work together to attain something that psychologists call ‘subliminal directives. That is, they have a direction to take that they don’t have to think too deeply about…it just becomes a natural tour-de-force. 

But how should these goals be set? Here are some tips to ensure they are inspiring for the team: 

Few in number: This focuses the mind, so people aren’t pulled in all directions 

Stretching: This makes people work smarter and takes their thinking ‘out of the box’ 

Focused on outcomes: This ensures results are focused on, not activities 

Captivating: They make people desire the outcomes, hence putting more discretionary energy into them 

Valuable: Goals are seen as important to all stakeholders inside and outside the team 

Aligned with values: They are seen as taking the team in the direction they wish to go 

Reduce silo mentality: Goals need collaboration and co-operation from people and teams outside the confines of the department 

These seven components help the team to buy-in to the concepts of teamwork, as they help them achieve and attain something of a higher nature than just doing a job. Relate goals to what will make the team feel successful about themselves, creating a willingness and desire to go out of their way to work smarter. 

The best goals are aimed at providing results that have a real meaning for team members, helping them on the direction towards the vision and mission of the department or organization. That’s a powerful reason why people should be wanting to achieve the goals you set. 

By implementing these tips, teams can enhance performance, foster collaboration, and maintain motivation and engagement. Remember, the journey to achieving successful team goals is continuous and requires dedication, adaptability, and a supportive environment.