What a year 2020 has been. With many looking forward to a new year and a fresh start, it’s time to think about how to make the most out of 2021 both personally and professionally. We will leave the personal goals to you, but it’s important to assess how you are setting goals for your team. Too often, team goals turn into those New Year’s resolutions to hit the gym…They fade after a couple of weeks. How can you take your goal-setting to the next level? Use these 7 tips to set effective team goals.

Think about the past year. What worked? What didn’t? Reflection lays the groundwork for setting fresh goals for the new year. Look for areas where your team was found wanting and establish goals to plug the gaps. Be honest in your reflection with your team. It’s important to point out where the team did well but also where it needs improvement.

It’s important to see the big picture of where you are and where you want to be. However, it can be overwhelming and unrealistic to just establish the big picture goals without establishing the small steps that you need to take to achieve them. Where do you want to be at the end of next year? What steps do you need to take in order to get to that point?

As you create public goals, it holds your team responsible for achieving those goals. Put those goals up in a public place. For example, if you have a white-board in the office, put the goals there so they are always in public view. Let other leaders in your organization know about your team’s goals.

Goals without quantifiable metrics to accompany them are useless. Put specific numbers to the goals you make. These could be specific revenue generated, clients serviced, leads captured, audits conducted and hires made, for instance.

What processes do you need to implement in order to achieve your goals? Once you establish your goals as a team, create a plan to put those goals into action. Start with the end in mind and then make smaller goals that will help you achieve the bigger goals of the year. In addition, divide the goals up and establish the actions you need to take weekly, monthly, and quarterly.

As a leader, you are as much part of the team as the other members. Let your team know that you are there to support them and get down in the trenches to help achieve those goals. Facilitate communication and be willing to answer questions or provide support in any way you can.

Lastly, follow up often to see your team’s progress.How many times have you been part of a team that sets goals and then doesn’t mention them again until the end of the next year? Frequent follow up with your team keeps the goals fresh in their minds. Your team goals don’t have to fade like most new year’s resolutions…

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