• September 19, 2022
• by:Zeynep Ilgaz

A leader must set the tone and align the troops toward a common goal to build a great team.  However, setting these goals is no easy task. Identifying and implementing the ones that will put your business on the right path takes time and effort. No wonder many small-business owners neglect this task, or you might have a different issue—too many goals. 

You might be in a position where you want to do everything for everyone. Unfortunately, this lack of focus can lead to a chaotic list of goals that is nearly impossible to keep track of. Whatever the case, your company’s goals are meaningless if you don’t have a united team behind them.

The key to success is alignment. It’s natural for teams that aren’t aligned with their company’s goals to feel disengaged and unmotivated. It is possible for them to go through the motions, unenthusiastic about what they do each day. As a result, morale suffers, output decreases and mediocrity results.

Setting goals early on and aligning your people around them can prevent this negative mindset from developing. Increase your team’s morale, retention, and engagement by fostering a sense of ownership and pride. According to a survey conducted by Robert Half– 88 percent of professionals think goal setting is essential to their work performance.

So, how exactly do you unify a team around your business objectives? 

Start by clarifying team objectives

A deeply rooted sense of mission drives successful teams. Make sure everyone understands the mission from the beginning. This approach emphasizes shared team goals over individual agendas. These objectives help bind a team together and keep it cohesive, even when obstacles or disagreements arise. 

Collaborate on setting goals

Everyone should play a role in achieving your goals, so why not let them set them themselves? Setting goals shouldn’t occur behind closed doors with only senior leaders present; it should be a collaborative effort that incorporates input from employees across the organization. By taking a holistic approach, you can demonstrate your value to employees and ensure the goals you settle on are relevant to all.

Underscore expectations

It is not enough to have relevant goals; there must also be a clear strategy for achieving them. Highlight each department’s unique role in achieving your goals when communicating them to your team. Establish clear expectations for everyone’s performance and explain their responsibilities.

Help everyone participate

It may be necessary for team leaders or managers to step in to provide the right balance of participation. Make sure everyone has an opportunity to contribute by inviting less experienced or quiet members to participate. You might ask their opinions in meetings or steer certain aspects of a project their way. Ensure everyone can be heard on your team. It’s generally fine for top performers to take on a more significant role or responsibility than others. Ensure that your star employees do not feel overburdened – or that other team members don’t feel squeezed.

Track, analyze, and adjust

It is crucial to track your progress over time to identify goals that can be quantified. If, for example, you aim to drive a certain number of visitors to your website over three months, then check your traffic stats daily, share these statistics with your team and work together to find ways to improve if you’re on pace to come up short.

Instill short-term (weekly and monthly) and long-term (annual) goals for your team. Then, during regular check-ins, your staff will feel accomplished when it has exceeded a weekly goal and motivated when it sees its progress toward an annual plan.

Keeping your staff aligned with your organization’s goals will help everyone stay organized, focused, and on track.