PROJECT GOALS AND OBJECTIVES

Before we focus on team goals, let’s take a minute or two to talk about project goals and objectives. It is critical that everyone understands the project’s goals because this is one of the best ways to turn a group into a team. Having the project clearly defined is a great starting point to ensure everyone has the same shared vision and is working toward the same outcomes.

In other words, everyone on the project team should be able to answer the key question, “What are we doing?” Unless everyone is capable of answering this question with confidence, accuracy, and consistency, there is little chance that the group assigned to execute the project will do so successfully, let alone transition from a group to a team during the project’s life cycle.

All project team members should be able to answer key questions as the project transitions from one phase to the next. Using a four-phase life cycle, here are the key questions to be answered for each phase:

Initiation: What are we doing?

Planning: How do we do it?

Execution: Are we doing it?

Close: Did we do it?

High-performing teams are able to answer each question with ease and familiarity. Each team member is actively involved in the project work, openly shares project information, and supports the other team members throughout the life of the project.