Goal-setting methods are all the rage, and without them, it can be hard to keep goals on track. Ultimately, what every good goal-setting method needs at the core – whether it’s a SMART goal, an OKR, or something else – is consistent communication. But what happens when that communication breaks down, or you’re communicating effectively that furthers your team’s synergy?

You’ll need some goal-setting methods that specifically promote and foster communication. And that’s where Shaara Roman, author of The Conscious Workplace: Fortify Your Culture to Thrive in Any Crisis, and the founder and CEO of culture consulting group The Silverene Group comes in.

The current communication landscape

Any manager or team member will tell you that communication isn’t easy. However, surprisingly, the best time for office communication was when many people were not doing their best: deep into the early days of the pandemic.

“In my experience, the communication landscape has improved in some areas but isn’t as robust as it was during the onset of the pandemic,” Roman says. 

“During the early months of COVID, there was a sharp improvement as leaders, driven by the high levels of uncertainty, were communicating frequently – even daily in some cases.”

This communication was primarily centered around keeping teams highly informed, and teams were extraordinarily empathic and understanding about everyone’s respective pandemic circumstances. One-on-ones, video calls, and meetings were all intentionally attended. Roman added that “the crisis is what brought people together.”

However, how teams communicate has changed as the urgency and intensity of the pandemic have lessened. 

“In some cases, communication tactics have gone back to the way they were pre-pandemic with communication being more on a “need-to-know” basis and less consistent,” Roman says. Only companies fully committed to culture focus on goals regularly – and for her, those are conscious workplaces.

“Conscious workplaces are deliberately curated to be human-centered. High-performing, successful organizations have well-managed cultures that align with their business strategy. Organizations that are intentional about their culture have inspiring leaders, values alignment in hiring, and authentic, transparent communication.”

4 Great goal-setting methods

Goal-setting frameworks like WOOP plans, OKRs, SMART goals, and HARD goals are all useful in their own ways, but sometimes, a simple method or lens with which to examine a goal can be the most helpful. In its simplest form, communication isn’t just talking to one another; extra steps in the process can muddle the ultimate goal of information-sharing.

“People underestimate the value and importance of communication and think that just because they know how to speak, they know how to communicate!” Roman says. “Many teams we work with don’t have team goals, let alone communication goals but do prioritize communication when they realize that it is an important component of their workplace culture.”

Without any fancy acronyms or detailed breakdowns, here are several actionable goal-setting methods that center communication.

1. Micro goals

Micro goals are small, specific, and achievable goals that can be completed quickly (typically in less than a day or a week). These goals are designed to be manageable, incremental steps toward achieving larger, long-term objectives. This goal-setting method that breaks down complex tasks into smaller, more manageable pieces makes a larger and more nebulous idea like “communication” into something concrete. Hive Goals, in particular, is a great tool to use when tracking micro goals, as goal trees provide a built-in way for teams to see how these micro goals (or sub-goals, as Hive Goals calls them) fit into the bigger picture. 

Roman’s example: “Set weekly 30-minute video or face-to-face check-ins with direct reports to focus on their needs, aspirations, goals, etcetera, rather than project work.”

2. Collaborative goals

Next, this approach promotes communication by ensuring everyone has a voice in the goal-setting process. Collaborative goal-setting can be done through brainstorming sessions or facilitated meetings, where everyone is encouraged to share their ideas and perspectives. This approach can help to foster a sense of ownership and buy-in from everyone involved, and when everyone has a say, everyone feels like they have more of a stake in the outcome. 

Roman’s example: “Create a communications “toolkit” that gives managers the key company messages to share with their team on a bi-weekly or monthly basis.”

3. Cascading goals 

The cascading goal-setting method involves setting goals at multiple levels within the organization, with each level contributing to achieving the overall organizational goals. This approach promotes communication by ensuring everyone understands how their goals contribute to the bigger picture. Cascading goals can be done through a top-down approach, where the organizational goals are set first and then cascaded down to teams and individuals. They can also be tackled through a bottom-up approach, where individuals and teams set their goals first and then align them with the organizational goals. 

Roman’s example: “Developing all staff or town hall agendas that create space to hear from a variety of employees, and move from top-down, one-way communications.”

4. Feedback-based goals

Lastly, feedback-based goal-setting is a process of setting goals for oneself or others based on feedback from previous actions or behaviors. It involves analyzing the outcome of previous actions or behaviors and using that information to set future goals of a different kind. The feedback can come from various sources, such as self-reflection, peer evaluations, supervisor feedback, or data analysis. By using feedback to set goals, teams can gain a better understanding of their strengths and weaknesses in communicating and further identify areas where they need to improve.

Roman’s example: “Measure via pulse surveys which communication strategies are most effective at meeting the goal.”

Using Hive To Set Your Goals

Are you ready to start making strategic goals with your team? You’re in luck — Hive’s newest (and most exciting) feature is Goals. Everyone wants to know how they’re moving their organization forward, and your team is more than just a project. With Goals, you can set various goals, visualize progress, and keep everyone aligned in one centralized dashboard. You can also:

• Create one, ten, twenty, or more goals for your team, so everyone understands what they’re contributing to.
• Centralize and automate your goal tracking and reporting.
• Pull data from other systems into Hive to streamline operations and reporting.
• Share your goal or goals, assign the goal to relevant teammates, track activity, and give yourselves a deadline.
• Understand how your team and organization are pacing towards an individual goal or a set of goals.
• Color-coded designations allow an easy understanding of “on-track” items.
• When it’s time to review progress, accomplishments, and achievements, easily export all relevant information.

Get started, today!