Full transparency and clarity from the beginning foster better results. 

The best approach to goal setting is to start with a clear picture of the expected outcome. This could mean tying a goal to a specific business objective to help to gain clarity of the big picture. Being transparent about how and if the goal can be achieved realistically will save a lot of time and effort. As project managers, it’s essential to understand the “why” when setting goals as that will provide all the motivation needed to achieve them.   

Ensuring the goal is S.M.A.R.T creates a higher chance of success. 

We’ve all heard of S.M.A.R.T. goals, but in case you haven’t, it stands for specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-bound. Project managers usually have a really good idea of this concept as most projects are already time-bound and require most of the other elements to ensure success. So once clarity on the objective has been received, it’s time to define the goal per the S.M.A.R.T. criteria. 

Collaboration encourages team accountability.

Working with a team on goal setting can definitely ensure success. When stakeholders collaborate on goals, that’s essentially their buy-in on seeing it through to fruition. Now, achieving the goal is equally important to the team and encourages accountability.  

Break the goal down into small actionable steps.

This tip is very important as it makes the goal easier to reach because each step is easily digestible. It’s so easy to look at the big picture and become overwhelmed as we realize it may take a lot of resources to get to the end. There have been times when I have set a goal, then I think about all the time it’s going to take to achieve it, and I decide to procrastinate which takes more time. Crazy, I know. 

Break those goals way down and knock out the steps a little at a time. You’ll start to build momentum as each smaller step is complete.

Monitor progress and adjust as needed. 

We get it, life happens and things don’t go as we thought they would. That’s why it’s very important to monitor progress and make necessary adjustments. Just because a goal is set does not mean changes can’t be made. As more information becomes available sometimes the original goal does not make sense and requires changes. Don’t be afraid to realign on objectives as often as needed.

By, Airess Rembert, PMP, Member of Women Of Project Management & Blogger at The Nerd Bae

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