The end of the year was the perfect time for setting goals. Now, the beginning of the new year is time for new idea, new actions and making your plans happen. That goes for you, your business, and your team. Aligning all those goals is key for everyone to have success in 2018. Alignment of goals is a growth strategy that you cannot ignore.

How do you make sure that your team’s goals match the goals you have for yourself and your business?

• Make sure you have clearly stated company, division, and department goals. You need to know what you want to do in the New Year before you can expect your team member to contribute to the business’ success. Communicate those goals with everyone before beginning any discussions of individual goals.

• Connect each team member’s work to the goals of the department, division, and company. The work done by a salesperson in bringing in new clients and getting new orders is pretty easy to connect with overall sales goals. But, how does the work of an HR or administrative person align with company goals?

• Set a specific time to sit down with each team member. Let that person know what you want to accomplish and how that person needs to prepare before the meeting. This gives the team member time to prepare his or her thoughts.

• Work with the team member to develop individual goals that align with the larger organization goals. Both of you should bring suggestions to the table and work together to create the final list. By involving the team member in the goal making process, you are letting that person take ownership of those goals.

• Ask the team member to come back with an action plan for each goal set. Setting a goal is one thing. Making sure that goal gets accomplished is another. A plan sets the stage for success.

• Follow up throughout the quarter. Once you set goals and make plans, your work has only just begun. Set aside time every month to review progress on goals. It is a time to see what is working and if there are challenges preventing the team member from moving forward. You can make adjustments, change plans, and manage expectations.

• Communicate department, division, and company goal progress with everyone. People need to see that their efforts are making an impact. Letting everyone know how things are going keeps them on track.

Goal alignment between you and your team is a growth strategy that sets you all up for success in 2018.