OBJECTIVES

to guide your team through a process for setting both team and individual goals and to create a system for tracking, revising, and updating these goals.

ABOUT

This module will help your team clarify a very important issue, that team goals are different from individual goals. This is increasing true for complex organizations and modern hybrid teams. In some organizations, individuals are members of several teams.

In higher leadership roles, members may be leading their own teams and at the same time be a part of an executive level team. Whatever the case, most organizations assess year end performance based on the accomplishment of individual goals and this often works against the completion of team goals.

This module helps teams set team goals (as differentiated from individual goals) and identify ways to measure and acknowledge their completion.

WHEN TO USE

Use this Module when:

•  team members are not clear about the difference between “team” goals and “individual” goals.
•  teams would benefit from a refresher for how to write and set goals that members can work on together
•. there is frustration that goals change before there is time to complete them and consequently members have grown to disregard them
•. members see each other’s individual goals as competing with team goals
•. there is confusion about when individual goals are contributing to the overriding team goals

This module, Setting Our Team Goals, has two components.

1 ) The Discussion Guide and Worksheet

This discussion guide, which is what the team members complete, contains step-by-step interactive fields, check boxes, and open fill-in spaces. This guide can be completed online using the interactive pdf and then shared or referenced as the team discusses each step.  Some steps are designed to be completed together.

The supporting worksheet helps team members write their goals and reach agreement on the timeline for each. The back of the worksheet presents a completed example for reference.

2) Facilitator/User’s Guide

These support materials are available to help guide the leader or facilitator through the steps of the discussion guide. An example of a completed worksheet helps team members visualize how to write goals effectively.

The facilitator may be an outside consultant, the team leader, or one of the team members. However, everyone can help ensure success by reading through some of the tips and suggestions in this guide.

NOTES FROM DR. PATRICK HANDLEY

I suspect you would be surprised to hear that in my over 40 years of team coaching, I have very seldom worked with teams that have had a clear set of team goals. Most team members have individual goals, but not team goals. Members often see it is their job to deliver specific results to the team. However, if the team doesn’t reach its team goals (assuming any are even clearly defined) then members don’t see it as their job. Usually this is thought of as the leader’s responsibility.

Compare this to sports teams that have a clear team goal of winning a game. Members have individual responsibilities based on their position on the team, but even if they play well and the team loses the game, then everyone loses. And, if the team wins, every team member wins and can celebrate. Players on sports teams also step outside of their position when possible and back up or fill in for another player when needed. Unfortunately, this doesn’t happen as often as it should in business and organizational teams. Frequently individuals still win (receive their yearly salary) even when the team fails to meet its goals.

Therefore, setting team goals using this module can initiate a powerful culture change for a team. When a team discusses and sets achievable, time-based “team” goals they change the way they work together and how they celebrate success.

This sounds so easy, but you’ll find that team members may resist this shift to team goals because they don’t have confidence their team members will do their part. And again, they know their year-end performance appraisal is probably based on their completion of individual goals and that is where they put their energy. Use this module to shift “me” thinking to “we” thinking and it will have a huge impact on team functioning.