How can you track progress towards your goals in a team or group setting?

Tracking progress towards your goals in a team or group setting is important for ensuring alignment, accountability, and efficiency. There are different methods and tools that can help you track your team goals, depending on your preferences and needs. Here are some general steps to track your team goals: • Break up overarching goals into incremental tasks. • Use a goal tracking template or tool. • Review progress regularly and communicate frequently. • Adjust your goals and tasks as needed.

Drawing from my experience working with Objectives and Key Results (OKRs), I've found them to be an exceptionally effective framework for tracking progress towards team quarterly goals, surpassing the traditional SMART goal-setting method. OKRs encourage ambitious, yet achievable targets, fostering a culture of aiming high and embracing learning opportunities. Their clarity and transparency ensure that everyone on the team aligns and collaborates effectively towards common objectives. Unlike SMART goals, OKRs provide a dynamic way to measure progress and adapt strategies, enhancing accountability and offering a clear pathway to success. This makes OKRs an invaluable tool for setting and achieving comprehensive, growth-oriented team goals.

Another angle is to keep it adaptable while being SMART , in changing world - goals change too and adaptation of goals in a SMART way is being smart . Would you agree !

En mi opinión, los objetivos no solamente deben ser SMART, sino que deben motivar al personal hacia el logro. Se los debe explicar bien para que se entienda su objetivo y que este objetivo es beneficioso para todos. Evitar definir objetivos que sirvan para propósitos punitivos que generan insatisfacción laboral.

In Scrum, tracking progress is like keeping score in a game. We use tools like a Scrum board or digital tools to see what tasks are done and what's left. We also have regular meetings to discuss what we did and what's next. It's like checking the scoreboard to make sure we're winning and adjusting our game plan if needed. We also set up Sprint Goals for our teams during the Sprint planning meeting. Sprint Goals are identified by the team and exist for the team. It gives a clear idea to the Scrum team on what their clear achievement should be by the time the Sprint ends. Adding goals and achieving them gives the scrum team a sense of satisfaction and add that touch of a winners attitude.

Tracking progress using attainable goals met with plausible measures followed by reflective analysis and planning is the path to success.

It's so important to have a sturdy flagpole for the team to march to. This takes the form of a SMART goal. If you change the goal, or if it's not clear, it becomes confusing and teams get discouraged because they are unable to tell they are making progress. Make your goal clear, put it where the team will see it every day. Discuss it in your regular meetings to determine if you are making progress. I like to break goals down into 3 horizons so there is no question progress is being made. Horizon 1 - where you are now, very small changes can begin to move you forward Horizon 2 - what's needed to get from 1 to 3 Horizon 3 - the goal, ideal state

Goals can be short, mid and long term. Goals can be set for a project, initiative, program, function or even at BU and Organization level. It depends on the industry and sector as well. However what remains constant is the alignment of goals to purpose and vision. Here comes the importance of OKR to KPI alignment. Most of the time we skip and forget the importance of tasks and activities which act as a bridge plan for achieving what's been set forth in the goal statement. Let's take the same example stated - increase NPS by 10%. This needs to be accompanied by clear and accountable and realistic actions and owners and how data will be captured for each action. The aggregated result is what will enable goal achievement.

In a team setting, track progress by defining SMART goals, holding regular check-ins, using KPIs and project management tools, fostering feedback loops, ensuring individual accountability, celebrating milestones, staying adaptable, maintaining transparent communication, and conducting regular assessments for continuous improvement.

La comunicación es sumamente importante. Se debe comunicar cual es la razón del objetivo, la meta a la que se pretende llegar, la forma en que se medirá y en método de feedback que se utilizará para que se conozca cómo va su cumplimiento. El objetivo debe permitir un camino hacia la maestría. Con esto quiero decir, que en la medida en que se va caminando hacia el objetivo, los responsables serán cada vez más capaces de lograrlo y con eso se genera una potente motivación.

Best advise on vision: Make it vivid and clear. After reading Camerons's book on Vivid Vision I sat down with my VP- Growth Strategy and wrote down what was our purpose and vision. It is very important to write it out in detail and share it. Share it with your executive team, your middle management, include it in your onboarding kit. Everyone needs to be aligned and onboard. This is key to foster transparency, collaboration and engagement.

A communication plan is an outcome of stakeholder analysis, or most of the time is the case. We should know who will communicate what and to whom and when. When we set up new goals, it is also considered as a change and hence a 2 way communication and feedback mechanism needs to be in place, as goals impact people's performance reviews. Sharing an example from my current organization perspective. When there is a goal set up at EY level, it is cascaded to Service Lines and then to Business Units and then to Functions and Portfolios and Products and Teams. This may vary for every organization but moot point being the coms has to be top down driven.

When communicating goals, the following approach is recommended: 1. Alignment: Align the goals with all relevant stakeholders understand all points of view & expectations. 2. Communication-Strategy: Prepare a communication strategy which a) considers a holistic approach of the goal(s) b) is formulated in a way that is easy to understand and motivating 3) Communication: Communicate transparently and in a timely manner

Una vez establecidos los hitos, se pueden aplicar mecánicas y elementos de juego (gamificación), para motivar hacia su logro y, de esta manera, generar feedback claro y lúdico. Por ejemplo se pueden entregar insignias al llegar a los hitos.

Feedback is the base of improvement. Always try to find a way to quantify the performance which will induce a thrive to excel. By combining feedback with quantifiable goals, you create a Powerful framework of personal and professional development. This approach not only facilitates individual growth but also contributes to culture of accountability, motivation and continuous improvement with in the team or organisation

En mi experiencia como experto en gamificación, es muy útil mostrar el progreso en un formato lúdico. Esto rompe el miedo a los gráficos estadísticos que no todos sabemos leer e interpretar. Por ejemplo, las barras de progreso como las de los juegos de video funcionan perfectamente. Muestran donde estoy y que falta para llegar a la meta.

Currently there are several tools that allow us to view indicators interactively. The important thing is not to fill ourselves with indicators but to generate those that really allow us to make timely decisions and not divert the focus from what is important.

The importance of regular revews cannot be understated. It is very easy to lose track if reviews are not done periodically. Of course, there is also the chance of over doing it - so the right frequency is important. Reviews should also be used as an opportunity to re-define the goals where changes are required based on changes in the situation.

Se debe monitorear en tiempos cortos. ¿Qué tan cortos?, lo suficiente como para que se pueda hacer gestión y verificar si esa gestión está bien encaminada o no, tanto en tiempos como en formas. Si en la verificación se encuentran desfases ajustar y continuar. Los marcos de trabajo ágiles como Scrum son muy buenos como para hacer esto de forma ordenada.

This is an important aspect as this forms the basis of continuous improvement and evolution of your target and goals. Would you continue measuring something which has been meeting targets for 6 to 8 quarters consistently ? Or you would go and see if the target itself needs to shift or the goal can be put under the secondary matrices list and get something new in the goals plan which can add more value ? A key thing to have in place are control charts and an attitude to do causal analysis for every event of something good and bad happening in the team. This is an attribute of high maturity organization. A predictive model for metric measurement is a necessity for matured organization as this will help in preventive measures and improve.

Feedback sessions such as retrospectives are crucial in understanding improvement areas needed to move closer to your goals. Vision boards and daily discussion will keep the team aligned and focused on the goals in hand

Together we can climb mountains and accomplish huge goals. To make a massive difference in leadership, one must inspire, multiply and empower others. Share with them the vision, put the right people in the right place (this is the art of Top Grading) and then empower them and let them embrace opportunities and overcome obstacles. I loved Liz Wiseman's book Multipliers. I think as senior leaders we should become one. At one point in my LinkedIn profile my CEO title became Chief Empowerment Officier. Your purpose and vision goes a lot further if you inspire and empower others.

Autonomy and resources is almost as powerful as empowerment and motivation when it comes to leadership. There are always times that you need to “micromanage” though they are few and far between if you lead with an open heart and mind. Show them that they have the freedom to make mistakes and that the feedback after is a growth moment not a beat down.

In order to empower, it is first necessary to know the team, spend time with them, know their motivators, their skills, the way they perform and what activities can add more value.

The success of highly productive teams lies in empowerment, as feeling involved increases their motivation. It's important to note that beyond using tools or techniques like OKRs, what's crucial is how empowerment is facilitated. Allowing the definition of KRs to be a collaborative and decentralized task from leadership can be a wise strategy. Teams that develop the product have in-depth knowledge, which is essential for devising the necessary strategies to achieve success.

When leaders trust their team, foster loyalty, and instill confidence in their abilities, they are more likely to delegate tasks and empower individuals to contribute to the organisation's success. This approach not only enhanced the efficiency of the team but also promotes the development and growth of individual team members

Die Befähigung und das "Aufbauen" von Menschen ist der Schlüssel zu hoch performanten Teams. Hierbei liegt der Fokus darauf die bereits vorhandenen Stärken weiter zu stärken; meist wird eher versucht die Schwächen/Lernfelder zu optimieren, da diese meist offensichtlicher sind. Auch High-Performer haben teils ein negatives Selbstbild und sind auf einen emotionalen Rückhalt angewiesen.

The OKR (Objectives and Key Results) framework is ideal for tracking progress in team settings. Its simplicity and scope are perfect for setting clear objectives and measurable actions. This framework promotes transparency and alignment, starting effectively at a small team level and then scaling up to the entire company. OKRs’ adaptability makes them suitable for any team size, ensuring goals are met efficiently even as the organization evolves. This method ensures everyone is focused and moving in the same direction, essential for achieving collective objectives.