What Are Team Goals in a Group Project?

Teams that work on projects can't just plunge into the process of meeting the project goals. Teams need to set their own goals. Of course, these goals must align with project aims, but teams can personalize their approaches to pursuing a task by discussing ground rules and procedures before they begin. A group project may have several teams working toward a common goal but in different areas. Some common team goals help your company's teams get started. Although the goals may be common, how teams pursue them differs according to the team makeup.

Each team should set a goal to meet the project deadline. Team members may choose to create an entire timeline for the work or they may divide tasks among members and set deadlines for completion of those tasks. It's up to the team how it wants to tackle the challenge of time constraints, but the goal creates a sense of urgency and responsibility among team members.

When a project has a budget, the team needs to stay within that budget. Team goals can go beyond merely keeping the project within projected costs. The team can set a goal of recording expenses weekly or monthly. Another choice could include creating a weekly budget to control expenditures during the project instead of waiting until the end and adding up the total. In addition, the team could set a goal of holding a budget review periodically as the project develops to make sure finances for the project are on track.

A team can move a project forward successfully by establishing milestones to measure progress. The team can establish a grading system for completed tasks and a checklist to make sure essential jobs are done. On the other hand, the team could request progress reports from individuals who have reached specific milestones. No matter how the team chooses to establish and monitor milestones, this process is essential for reporting progress to management.

Effective communication among team members is essential. So is communicating as an entire team with other departments, teams and outside agencies. The team must determine who will communicate important information to other groups. In addition, the team can establish a communication hierarchy within the group. If the team is run democratically, the team can establish protocols for copying team members on emails and creating a phone-calling chain to make sure everyone is included.