Group Goal Setting (Shared
Understanding)
Why Use It
This technique is designed to provide a
collective sense of what is important and why. It enables teams to reach a
common goal or a shared understanding.
This is a key ingredient for a successful team. Use this technique to
build common meaning where none existed before or to validate that everyone
shares the same group goal.
How to Use It
The technique is based on getting
personal goals in-sync with group goals. In this way, people stop thinking of
the organization as a thing to which they are subservient. With personal and
organizational goals in balance, people will better participate in guiding the
organization in the desired direction.
|
Step |
Group or Individual |
Action |
|
1 |
As a Group |
Write the topic, project
or problem situation for which you want to develop a goal, or, on which you
want to create a shared understanding. |
|
2 |
Group |
List the reasons why it is
important to resolve this situation. Agree on the most important reasons.
Note: There can be several of equal importance. |
|
3 |
Individual |
Develop personal reasons
for wanting to resolve this situation. Essentially, what are the benefits to
me? |
|
4 |
Group |
Develop a group goal
statement that states the desired outcome (goal) for the topic. Note: Start
the goal statement with, “How can …”,
or, “How to …” |
|
5 |
Group |
Determine by discussion
whether this group goal will help reach broader organizational or corporate
goals. |
|
6 |
Individual |
Individually analyze, if
personal goals are in-sync with group or team goals. Note: Your personal goal should be in-sync
with team goals, otherwise you risk getting into a win/lose or lose/lose
situation. |
|
7 |
Group |
Review the individual personal
goals. If personal and team goals do
not match; seek alignment - not necessarily agreement. Really listen to the
“Lone Voice in the Wilderness”; it may be brilliant or a warning. Note: There can often be a
strong temptation to seek agreement and down play disagreements. Use a
dialogue process that seeks to align personal goals with team goals. Be
realistic; not everything can be aligned perfectly. If the
differences are too great, use a consensus building process to narrow the
differences to a level of group acceptance or consider removing a group
member who remains out of alignment. |
|
8 |
Group |
Write the final team goal
statement that represents a shared understanding. |
Group
Goal Setting & Shared Understanding
Action
|
|
|
1. As a group, write the
topic for which you want to develop a goal or on which you want to create a
shared understanding. |
|
|
2. As a group, list
reasons why it is important to resolve this situation. |
|
|
3. As an individual,
develop personal reasons to resolve this situation. Essentially, how does
this benefit me? |
|
|
4. As a group, develop a
group goal statement that states the desired outcome. Start the goal
statement with; ‘How
can …” or ‘How to …’. |
|
|
5. As a group, determine
if the goal helps to reach a broader group mission or vision. |
|
|
6. As an individual,
determine if personal goals are in-sync with group or team goals. |
|
|
7. As a group, discuss
adjusting personal and team goals, if necessary. |
|
|
8. As a group, write the
final team goal statement |
|
|
|
|