How do you set project goals? How do you monitor the progress of goals?

Project goals are the long-term targets of a project. It answers the question of why a project is started. Project management goals are clearly defined at the planning stage helps the entire team to stay focused on the targets of my project and makes everyone aware of the project before kick-off. The SMART framework helps me to define project objectives so my team members are not left wondering where exactly their efforts are directed and therefore, it’s easier to eventually achieve them.

S: Specific

Goal must be specific in order to achieve it. so, specific goal questions are asked in project like

• What needs to be accomplished?
• Who’s responsible for it?
• What steps need to be taken to achieve it?

M: Measurable

Specificity is a solid start, but quantifying the goals (that is, making sure they’re measurable) makes it easier to track my progress and know when I’ve reached the finish line.

A: achievable

Goals must be realistic in order to achieve it. Ask yourself whether my team can reasonably accomplish? And it is easy to safeguard the goal if you are the one setting it. However, that’s not always the case. When goals are handed down from elsewhere, make sure to communicate any restraints you may be working under.

R: Relevant

Relevant is where we need to think about the end product and it also showcase Why are you setting the goal that you’re setting?  Like realistic it also should be relevant to the project for achieving the objective and goals

T: Time bound

Time bound in SMART framework helps to prevent everyday task shadowing the longer-term goals. So, a goal has to have a target date and a deadline to focus on and something to work towards achieving it.

After setting a goal, measuring your progress can guide you to achieving it. It can help you understand what types of actions contribute to your progress and which methods are most effective. Following 5 steps process helps me to track my progress they are

1. Identify what you want to achieve

It’s important to identify what action you want to accomplish and what type of outcome you’re seeking to develop long-term and short-term goals. To do this effectively, consider measuring the current status of an aspect of your company you plan to improve. Then create a specific goal on the information gathered

2. Set a deadline

Create a deadline to achieve long-term goals, so it will help you refine the process you follow to accomplish short-term tasks. To create a thorough plan, consider writing each step of your process, along with the time you expect to spend on completing each step. While planning, review the steps to anticipate potential problems and prepare solutions. This also improves your time management skills, making it easier to meet deadlines

3. Set milestones

A milestone is a minor achievement that you can use to measure the progress you’ve made toward an overall goal .To set an effective milestone, consider choosing a minor goal, such as completing a task by a specific date or finishing a number of tasks by a particular time.

4. Document and review progress

Documenting the progress is a great tool for measuring it. Keep a track record of the overall goals, tasks, milestones and deadlines. Usage of a calendar or planner helps you to track the progress by marking off tasks as you complete them and checking off milestones as you achieve them.