"Goals and Roles" Pace Towards Team Success

Have you ever been a member of a high performing, smooth running team? A team that set a goal so unimaginable, and achieved it? It was probably an experience you are likely never to forget. Most likely within your team people trusted one another, worked cooperatively, enjoyed the task at hand and achieved that goal that was set ever so high. Clear goals is a very successful key towards successful team work. Clear goals are critical to ensure that everyone on the team is heading in the same direction. Much time, money and energy are put into projects and tasks, and can be all wasted if everyone on the team isn't reaching for the same goal/outcome. Without goals in a team, not everyone will be on the same page and a task/project will not be completed to best of everyones ability. This happens because without a distinguished goal, how do you know when to stop? How will each team member know when enough is enough? With a goal posted up for everyone to recognize, almost unachievable, with hard work and dedication your team will be on top by reaching it.

Defined roles help teams organize and clear cut who is in charge of which tasks. Usually members of a team have a fairly clear idea of what their roles are in order to complete the project. Roles helps individuals set their own goals and strive towards them. When a major project is given, each person clarify's what task they want to complete and work on the task at hand. Depending on the size of the group, titles should be given to each individual.  Example shown below:

Simple questions should be asked among your team.

• Who is going to take charge, lead the project?
• Who is going to organize the tasks, keep people on task?
• Who will evaluate assignments, and completed work? Will it work within the task, will it reach the set goal?
• Who will tie the project together, who says the project is complete?

Many more question should be asked within deciding roles. Having a distinguished role doesn't mean that person cannot take part on other tasks. This is more of a title, so each team member knows who to go to if they have questions or concerns , or something revised. There are many steps to completing a well rounded team. Creating a goal, and assigning roles will send team in the proper direction. Remember when setting a goal, that everyone agrees on it, and it is something hard to reach but realistically reachable. Re-access everyones role, and gather each member to check in, call a short meeting, and you will soon find your team on the path to success.