What's the best way to tell your team your business goals?

1 Understand your audience

Before you share your goals with your team, you need to understand who they are, what they care about, and how they prefer to receive information. Different team members may have different levels of knowledge, interest, and involvement in your business goals, so you need to tailor your message accordingly. For example, you may need to explain the context and rationale behind your goals to some team members, while others may only need a brief update or a reminder. You may also need to use different channels and formats to reach your audience, such as emails, meetings, presentations, or dashboards.

2 Be specific and realistic

Your team needs to know exactly what you want them to achieve, why, and how. Therefore, you should make your goals specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART). This will help your team understand the scope, criteria, and progress of your goals, as well as their roles and responsibilities in achieving them. Moreover, you should make sure that your goals are realistic and attainable, based on your resources, capabilities, and constraints. Setting unrealistic or vague goals can demoralize your team and undermine your credibility.

3 Be transparent and honest

Your team will appreciate your honesty and transparency when you share your goals with them. This means that you should be open about the opportunities and challenges that your goals entail, as well as the risks and uncertainties that may affect them. You should also acknowledge the feedback and input that your team has provided or will provide in shaping and refining your goals. Being transparent and honest will help you build trust and rapport with your team, as well as foster a culture of collaboration and learning.

5 Be consistent and supportive

Your team will need your consistent and supportive guidance and leadership throughout the process of achieving your goals. This means that you should communicate your goals regularly and clearly, monitor and report on your progress and performance, and celebrate and reward your milestones and achievements. You should also provide your team with the resources, tools, training, and feedback that they need to succeed, as well as address any issues or concerns that they may have along the way. Being consistent and supportive will help you ensure your team's alignment and accountability, as well as their growth and development.

6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?