Does your team have shared goals, but everyone still has their own priorities?

No matter how many times or ways you explain it, nothing seems to change. It’s frustrating, and it’s so tempting to get angry or put the blame on someone.

This problem happens across organizations, especially in IT. Instructions were clear and simple, yet it doesn’t seem like they were heard.

At times, I’ve felt helpless—until I realized the problem: Clarity.

Let’s explore what’s standing in the way of clarity.

The enemy of clarity is ambiguity.

Conflicting goals lead to different priorities.

When individuals have different objectives, they prioritize activities accordingly. If you ask them to close a client together:

You'll notice that regardless of the mandate, operations will prioritize activities for the product, believing that without it, there's nothing to sell.

So when things get busy, they’ll go back to their own KPIs.

Unclear goals are subject for interpretation.

• Option Goal A: Improve customer satisfaction

• Option Goal B: Make customers happy

• Option Goal C: Increase customer satisfaction by 10%

• Option Goal D: Increase customer satisfaction by 10% within 6 months by implementing feedback surveys and addressing the top three customer complaints.

When goals aren’t clear, each member will interpret it a different way. They’ll exert their best, but that doesn’t guarantee it’s in the right direction.

It’s more problematic if they row the boat in different directions.

If you give them Goal 4, it’s clear. They immediately know what they should do and how they should do it. By implementing surveys, you identify the top three customer complaints. Your team then focuses on addressing these complaints, leading to improved customer satisfaction ratings.

It’s simple and easy to understand. There’s also nothing to interpret.

Up next…

Employees may focus on the wrong thing when they're unsure of what to prioritize.

• Goal 1: Close new sales

• Goal 2: Maintain client relationships

Having too many goals, you can see that the activities are related but different. Goal 1 requires you to keep on meeting new people, whereas Goal 2 requires you to cultivate relationships.

When volume is low, it is possible to manage both goals. But when the volume increases, your team will struggle because both are important.

From experience, you’ll only find out when things are already exploding.

Now you see what happens with unclear goals. Make sure to design it properly.

Unify your goals, and keep SMART in mind

Now that you understand the issue of ambiguity, narrow down the goals.

I usually suggest focusing on just one, then breaking down the activities needed to achieve it. Finally, keep it SMART.

• S - Specific.

• M - Measurable.

• A - Achievable.

• R - Relevant.

• T - Time Bound.

SMART goals help build clarity - making it easier to focus efforts and track progress.

That’s it for this week. See you next Tuesday.

Ciao!