In today’s workplace, most non-trivial projects are too big for a single person to
accomplish. A team is necessary. An effective team will have a clear picture of the what
the group is trying to accomplish, and will develop ways of working together in order to
accomplish their goals. This seems quite simple and obvious, yet teams constantly suffer
from goal confusion: some people don’t understand the goals, some are not committed to
the team goals, and some are not happy with their roles. Worst of all, when asked if they
understand, most people simply nod their heads.
The popular solution to goal setting is SMART goals: Specific, Measurable, Achievable,
Realistic, and Time-bound. Just follow those rules, the theory goes, and everything will
work out. Unfortunately, reality does not always agree. There are several factors
involved.