Track Goals in the New Microsoft Planner

Track Goals in the New Microsoft Planner

Setting and tracking goals is essential for team alignment and productivity. The new Microsoft Planner introduces a robust Goals feature that simplifies this process, ensuring everyone is on the same page. Let’s dive into how this feature can transform your planning and project management experience.

Why Goals Matter

Goals provide a clear direction and help prioritize tasks, making it easier to achieve key objectives. Misaligned priorities and lack of visibility can lead to missed deadlines and unmet objectives. The new Goals feature in Microsoft Planner addresses these challenges by allowing you to set, track, and link goals to specific tasks.

How to Use Goals in Microsoft Planner

1. Getting Started: Open a premium plan in Planner and navigate to the Goals view by selecting “Goals” in the header.
2. Creating Goals: Select “Add goal” and enter details such as the title, end date, status, and a unique color.
3. Using Copilot: Copilot in Planner (preview) can help you set meaningful goals tailored to your needs. Simply ask Copilot to add goals, and it will generate a set of measurable goals to get you started.
4. Linking Tasks: Connect tasks to goals by selecting “Connect tasks” and choosing the relevant tasks.

Goals in Different Views

• Board View: Group by goal to see task distribution and make necessary adjustments.
• People View: Group or filter by goal to see who is responsible for each goal.
• Grid View: Add a Goal column to easily see which goal a task is linked to.
• Charts View: Filter by goal to see analytics on task progress towards your goals.

Practical Applications

Here are a few examples of how goals can enhance your planning:

• Brainstorming Objectives: Use goals to brainstorm and set relevant objectives for new projects.
• Tracking Progress: Monitor the progress of tasks linked to specific goals to ensure alignment and timely completion.
• Enhancing Collaboration: Improve team collaboration by providing clear visibility into goal-related tasks and responsibilities.

Conclusion

The new Goals feature in Microsoft Planner is a game-changer for teams looking to improve alignment and productivity. By setting and tracking goals, you can ensure that everyone is working towards the same objectives, leading to better outcomes and more efficient project management.

Credit to Robyn Guarriello for the original article.

Track goals in the new Microsoft Planner - Microsoft Community Hub