Defining great team goals is essential for team success. It helps team members understand what is expected of them and how their work contributes to the success of the team or organization. It provides focus and direction, which can help team members stay motivated and engaged. Setting team goals can also help team members see the bigger picture and understand how their work fits into the overall objectives of the team or organization.

Benefits for the team and team members include:

Improved performance and productivity
Increased motivation and engagement
Enhanced skills and professional development
Greater sense of purpose and meaning
Improved communication and teamwork
Increased sense of accomplishment and success.

The SMART Goals framework is a simple yet effective model for defining high-quality Goals with your team. SMART goals are goals that are Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound. These types of goals can be helpful for managers because they are clear and actionable, which can make it easier for team members to understand what is expected of them and to track their progress.

Here is a guide for creating SMART goals and Key Results for your team:

Start by identifying the primary objectives that, if achieved, will represent success for the team. These should align with the team's mission and vision and should be in support of the objectives of the organization.
Make sure that the Goal is specific. A specific Goal should clearly state what you want to accomplish and why it is important.
Make sure that the Goal is measurable. You should be able to track progress towards the Goal using Key Results and objectively determine whether it has been achieved.
Make sure that the Goal is achievable. The Goal should be challenging, but not impossible to achieve.
Make sure that the Goal is relevant. It should be aligned with the overall objectives of your team and organization.
Make sure that the Goal is time-boxed with a defined target completion date. This will help ensure that you and your team are working towards the goal in a timely manner.

Key Results represent the milestones or activities that are necessary in order to achieve their associated Goal. These Key Results will be the mechanism used to measure progress toward achieving a larger objective. In other words, if all the Key Results for a Goal are achieved, the Goal should be considered met. If this is not the case, then you are most likely missing Key Results.

To create Key Results for a Goal:

Identify the significant milestones, activities, or outcomes that are necessary in order to achieve their associated Goal. These make up the Goal's Key Results.
Make sure that each Key Result is measurable. You should be able to track progress towards each and determine whether or not it has been achieved.
Make sure that the Key Result is specific. It should clearly state what you want to accomplish and why it is important.
Make sure that the Key Result is time-bound. This will help ensure that you and your team are working towards the key result in a timely manner.

By following these steps, you can create SMART Goals with Key Results that are clear, actionable, and measurable, which can help your team stay focused and motivated.

Goal and Key Result Examples

The following are some examples that demonstrate both well-defined and poorly-defined Goals :

Great ✅:

Goal: Increase revenue by 15% within the next 6 months.

Key Results:

Identify and target 3 new customer segments.
Launch marketing campaigns to promote each of the 4 new services being rolled out during this period.
Review and optimize pricing strategies to increase ARPU by 10%.

This goal is specific (increase revenue by 15%), measurable (tracking revenue over time), achievable (a 15% increase is realistic with the right strategies), relevant (increasing revenue is important for the success of the company), and time-bound (within the next 6 months). The key results are directly related to the goal and are also specific, measurable, and time-bound, which makes them clear and actionable. This goal is a good example because it includes clear strategies for achieving the goal and it is aligned with the overall objectives of the team or organization.

Poor ❌:

Goal: Increase productivity.

Key Results:

Work harder.
Work longer hours.
Take fewer breaks.

Great ✅:

Goal: Improve the accuracy of financial reports by 95% within the next 3 months.

Key Results:

Complete implementation of the new financial reporting system.
Provide training on the new system to all relevant team members (currently 12 members).
Conduct weekly reviews of financial reports to identify and address and correct any errors prior to the next review.

This goal is specific (improve the accuracy of financial reports by 95%), measurable (tracking the accuracy of financial reports), achievable (a 95% accuracy rate is realistic with the right interventions), relevant (accurate financial reports are important for the success of the company), and time-bound (within the next 3 months). The key results are directly related to the goal and are also specific, measurable, and time-bound, which makes them clear and actionable. This goal is a well-defined goal because it includes clear strategies for achieving the goal and it is aligned with the overall objectives of the team or organization.

Poor ❌:

Goal: Improve communication within the team.

Key Results:

Have more meetings.
Encourage team members to speak up more.
Use more technology for communication.

This goal is not specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, or time-bound. It does not provide clear strategies for achieving the goal and it is not aligned with the overall objectives of the team or organization. As a result, it will be difficult for team members to understand what is expected of them and to track their progress. This goal is a poorly-defined goal because it does not include clear strategies for achieving the goal and it is not aligned with the overall objectives of the team or organization.