Goal Setting For Success

I could talk about the perils of virtual cross-functional teams; and spout percentages on how most go over schedule, budget, or fail to meet company, customer, and personal expectations. But if goals are not clearly defined, how are the ever to be tracked and met?

The first of five keys in this series on cross-functional team leadership -- and undoubtedly the most important -- is goal setting. How do you define goals as relating to all Stakeholders involved? When Stakeholders goals are aligned, articulated, agreed upon, they are achievable. Goals can be SMART or SmartER, or DUMB but they must go beyond MBO's, KPI's and other business acronyms!

Here are a few things to keep in mind while goal-setting for the Company, Customer, Cross-Functional team and individual Contributor to ensure that the goals are aligned, articulated, agreed upon and achievable!

Company Goals

  • Product/project inline with corporate goals.
  • Executive sponsor willing to invest 'personal capital,' and senior enough to affect behavior.

Customer Goals

  • Schedule, time-line requirements
  • Business case
  • Go-to-market plan

Cross-Functional Team Goals

  • Aligning team goals with Company, Customer, and Individual Contributor goals.
  • Ability to overcome team issues is built into foundation of team; team culture is balanced.
  • Engaged members of a successful, productive, collaborative, results-focused team.
  • The sum of the team is greater than the parts.

Individual Contributor Goals

  • Getting more from being on the team than just a job well done.
  • Goals of career, personal, and individual contributions a respected and rewarded.

If you would like more information on team goal-setting techniques for product and project management, please leave a comment.

Next week, Roles: what hat do you wear?