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Every business has a mission.
It is its reason for existing. The
mission focuses the organization around a singular objective. Just as a
business needs a mission, so does a team. Every year, athletic teams
have the mission to finish first in their sport and they establish goals and
activities throughout the season to help them achieve the mission. As a
college student, your mission is to graduate. Decisions you make
should always take into consideration their impact on your goal.
Skipping classes, dropping a course, or not studying for an exam will
have a detrimental impact on your mission to graduate. Forming a
study-group and setting aside time to focus on your homework ensures
that you achieve your mission.
In order to achieve their mission, teams must first
establish goals. Goals should be
SMART
(Specific,
Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Time-bound).
Specific:
Goals should be specific enough so that they are easily
understood by new team members. They should also be related
specifically to achieving the mission. If your mission is to launch a new
line of furniture, one of your goals might be to create a 3-D prototype
of the furniture using a graphics program within the next 90 days. This
goal is specific because it explains what you will do, how you will do it,
and when it will be completed.
Measurable:
Accountability is essential in high functioning teams.
Having measurable goals ensures accountability. “Completing
research before the next team meeting” or “selling 10 cars this month”
are examples of measurable goals. Measurable goals should be
made published within the team and a
ieving the goal should be
celebrated.
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Section 9 – Working in Teams