Having goals is critical to making progress, but strong organizational goals are not the same as effective work team or employee goals. Getting that distinction clear can accelerate progress for everyone.

Some of the muddling of these two concepts comes from over-applying the well-known SMART model—specific, measurable, assignable, realistic, and time-bound—for goal-setting. That works beautifully for corporate goals, but it doesn’t necessarily translate to a work group or individual goal that must be more focused on tactical behavioral change.

Instead of applying the original model indiscriminately, try adapting it with an eye toward enhancing employee engagement and aligning with management strategies. That way, you can develop goals that are still specific, meaningful, agreed-upon, realistic, and tracked, but are compatible at these more granular levels.

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