Sunday 23 January 2022

How to set effective project goals

When the project is finished, what should i do next?

was the project successful? did you achieve your goals? or didn't you reach the target? without a system to see what your project goals are, these answers may not be immediately apparent.

creating project goals is not difficult. however, you need to set goals that are measurable and easy to assess the success of your project. this guide will help you create your first project goals and power up your project management skills.

What are project goals?

A project goal is a plan of what to achieve before the project is completed. this may include deliverables, assets, and even more vague goals such as increased efficiency and motivation. project goals should be achievable, time-limited, and specific goals that can be measured at the end of the project.


project goals are an important part of project management. without project goals, there is no simple way to communicate project goals before or during a project, or a measurable way to assess achievement after the project is over.

if you are new to project goals, explain the differences between project goals and other elements of project management.

difference between project goals and project goals
some teams may use it interchangeably, but there are clear differences between project goals and long-term goals. in general, a project goal should be higher than the project goal and provide a complete picture of what happens if the project succeeds and how the project fits the overall goals of the business.

on the other hand, project goals are more detailed and specific than project goals. there are many project goals that may affect business goals, but project goals are more important to specific deliverables at the end of the project.

example project goal: add five new ways customers can find feedback forms in the product in the next two months.

example project goal: make it easier for engineering teams to receive and respond to customer feedback.

what is the difference between project goals and business objectives?
as the name 2010, a project goal is an indicator of the goals and outcomes of an individual project. project objectives should be relevant to the relevant project and have specificity to guide the team when evaluating the outcome of the project.

Business goals are a bigger concept than a single project. Unlike project goals, business objectives move the business forward and speed up. It should be a long-term guideline for the entire company or department. Business goals should guide your company through quarterly and year goals and follow the goal scoring methods your team employs, such as goals and key outcomes (OKRs).

Example project goal: Increase your company's Net Promoter Score (NPS) to 62 by the end of this quarter.

example business goal: become the industry's top service provider.


difference between project goals and project plans

a project plan is a blueprint that summarizes elements such as the key tasks your team needs to accomplish to achieve the goals and goals of a project. however, the project plan must include several other important factors, such as project stakeholders, deliverables, and timelines.

before you envision a project plan, consider creating a project goal first. this is because project goals are likely to determine other elements of the project plan, such as deliverables and success metrics. however, once you've created a project goal, you'll want to share it with stakeholders in the form that's included in the project plan.

Example project goal: Improve email CTR by 10% by the end of Q3.

project plan example: for an example project plan, see how to create a project plan that no longer fails.

  • the difference between project goals and project milestones
  • both "goals" and "milestones" are targets in a project, seemingly the same, but project milestones generally refer to smaller ones than project goals.


a project milestone is a checkpoint that shows a specific achievement on the project timeline. milestones themselves are not a sign of work, but a record of the completion of a series of tasks or deliverables. project milestones are important, but they are related to the overall project.

example project goal: earn 20,000 bookings by the last day of virtual event registration (june 23).

example project milestone: june 8, 2021: launch a web page promotion for upcoming virtual events.

difference between project goals and project deliverables

project deliverables are assets that you want to complete when a project is completed. for example, in a marketing campaign, a deliverable can be a new ad or webpage. project goals typically define deliverables and are broader than deliverables.

in addition to identifying deliverables, project objectives also define the benefits and results that come from them. this is especially because these benefits and results are relevant to larger plans for project and business goals.

example project goal: reduce a customer's transfer rate to less than 1% by the end of the year.

deliverable example: launch a winback campaign for all dormant customers.

benefits of project goals

having clear project goals can help you understand what you're aiming for in your project. without project goals, there is no easy way to determine the success or failure of a project, and you cannot plan for improvement in the next project.

Team members are less motivated and focused if they don't have a clear grasp of how their work contributes to larger project goals or company goals. According to the Asana Goal report, only 26% of knowledge workers have a clear understanding of how their work contributes to the company's goals. Sure, the project goal is not the company's goal, but it is an intermediate step in connecting personal work to the project's work and the company's goals.

by clearly defining project goals, team members can evaluate their work in a consistent manner and refoot if they are out of step. think of your project goals as compasses to keep your team moving in the right direction.

5 tips for setting great project goals

The key to setting a good project goal is to write clearly and usefully. Smart methods are a good way to do this. SMART is an acronym for the following words:

  • Specific (specific)
  • Measurable (measurable)
  • Achievable (Achievable)
  • Realistic (realistic)
  • Time-bound (due)


To learn more about this method, read this article to learn how to create better SMART goals.

1. set project goals at the start of the project

to use project goals as a guide for project results, you must set them at the start of the project and move the project forward based on them. as mentioned earlier, project goals are also a key element of a project plan that should be created at the start of the project.

2. involve the project team in the goal setting process

the more supporters, the more successful your project goals will be. if project stakeholders have a clear understanding of the project goals, they can work as effectively as possible on project plans other than project goals and the work that occurs during the project.

3. create a concise and clear project goal statement

when you create a project goal for the first time, you'll want to include all the details. however, if possible, keep your project goals short. think of it as a statement that leads to the outcome of your project, and should be about one or two lines long. include additional information, such as project budgets and stakeholders, in the project plan.

4. make sure you have a controllable goal

HERE, SMART CAN HELP YOU CREATE WELL-DEFINED, REALISTIC, AND CONTROLLABLE PROJECT GOALS. THE SMART FRAMEWORK CONSISTS OF FIVE COMPONENTS:

specific: the project goal statement should clearly mention the project the team is currently working on. avoid setting too vague project goals that are not directly tied to the outcome of the project.

measurable: at the end of the project, you need a way to clearly reflect on the project and determine whether the project was successful. project goals should be clearly measurable, such as percentage changes or specific numbers of assets.

achievable: is that project goal reasonably desired within the project? this element is related to the scope of the project. if the scope is unrealistic, the project goals are more likely to be the same. without achievable project goals, projects can cause scope creep, schedule delays, and overtime issues.

realistic: when you create a project goal, you need to have a high-vilial understanding of the resources in the project. create goals that can be achieved within a limited period of time and within the resources available for the project.

due: project goals should be set for the duration of the project's timeline. be sure to take into account the amount of time you can spend working on your project.

try the goal feature for free

5. check the status of project goals during the project lifecycle

employees who understand how their work adds value to the organization will be more motivated . to keep your team aligned and motivated, you need to check your project goals frequently and update information to your employees. the project status report includes a section that looks back on project goals. share with your team whether your current project is on track, be careful, or need action. this allows the project team to make adjustments as needed and work in a way that contributes the most to the project goals.

examples of good and bad project goals

creating project goals is not easy. it takes time to be able to smoothly create these goals for your project. but don't worry. you can create your own project goals by checking out the three examples of good project goals and bad project goals listed below.

example 1: business project goals

bad example: launch a new home page.

THIS PROJECT GOAL LACKS TWO OF SMART ELEMENTS. THIS GOAL IS MEASURABLE, ACHIEVABLE AND REALISTIC, BUT IT IS NOT SPECIFIC AND HAS NO DEADLINE. WHEN WILL I PUBLISH MY HOME PAGE? WHAT IS THE KEY TO REDESIGNING YOUR DESIGN?

best example: create a new home page asset and copy that focuses on four customer stories and use cases. by the end of the second quarter, the company will open a revamped customer-perspective website.

This project goal meets SMART. It covers everything that can be measured (creating new home page assets and copies), measurable (with a renewed customer-perspective home page), achievable and realistic(focusing on four customer stories and use cases), and timed (by the end of the second quarter).

example 2: nonprofit project goals

bad example: improve manufacturing process sustainability by 5%.

This project goal is more specific than the bad example above, but it lacks some SMART elements. This goal is measurable(5%),but it is not specific or has no time limit because it does not explain what "sustainability" means or when the manufacturing process should be improved. As a result, we can't really determine whether this goal is achievable and realistic.

a good example: reduce business waste by 5% and increase the use of recycled products by 20% over the next 12 weeks.

this project goal is a concrete goal that sets the previous goal as a starting point. this time it also includes a means of measuring goals(5% decrease, 20% increase). it's a somewhat ambitious goal, but with deadlines (in the next 12 weeks), it's achievable and realistic.

example 3: personal project goals

bad example: improve performance ratings

surprisingly, most personal project goals are neither specific nor measurable. that's because it's difficult to apply success indicators to the inside, that is, to yourself. but to see your growth and personal goals achieved, you need to set clearer project goals.

a good example: earn at least 4/5 in performance ratings in march and september 2021.

This project goal includes all smart elements. Specific (at least 4/5),measurable(4/5),achievable and realistic(4/5), leaving room for unpredictable trouble) and a deadline(2021).

Set a project goal, but by setting project goals, your team can gain clarity, keep up with your work, and do more. however, project goals are only part of the overall project plan. read our guide to creating a project plan for more information on how to increase clarity and align your team during the project planning phase.


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