“There is a need for the project team to understand the goal of the project, if they know the goal, and you set the goal in the QQT/R form, then they have agreement on why they are together.” I told Stan.

Stan replied, “Mike, I think you’re backwards. They have to get along and know each other, they have to party together, for the goal to be accomplished.”

“Stan, let’s pretend you hire 12 new people. They show up to work you place them all together on the factory floor, and say ‘Get to work!’…what do you think will happen?”

“They will be confused and start doing what they think they should do. And that is not what I want them to-do because what they think and what is needed are separate. They don’t understand the work and what has to get done.”

“Now, same scenario except they are all friends and have partied together, any difference in the results?”

“YES..they would get less work done!”

It is nice if people at work are all friends, but not necessary.

It is necessary that people at work know what the Goal is and understand how the work they are doing contributes to accomplishing that goal. And, it is the Manager’s responsibility to frame the goal in the context of peoples work.

Benefits of knowing the goal

• Everyone knows why this team is together.
• Everyone knows why they are on this team at this time – understanding builds commitment to the work.
• Everyone knows whether the goal is achievable, and can negotiate their role in the goal.

Questions about the teams’ Goal

• What is the goal that this team must accomplish?
• What specific task(s) is this team created to accomplish?
• Quality – How good does the completed work have to be?
• Quantity – How much of the Quality product needs to be created?
• Time Frame – By-When are we expected to accomplish this task?
• Resources – Can this be accomplished with existing time-frames and resources?
• Does this team-task require extra resources OR does the team currently have what is needed?
• Who is on this team?
• Does each team member understand the Goal; what the team and they are to work on?
• In what way’s does each team member contribute (their best work) to the team’s tasks and overall goal?

What do you think?

In what ways are the questions above useful? Do you think people should be friends at work, and that will increase the completion of goals?

michael cardus is create-learning

image by Phillie Casablanca