Are you one of the project managers struggling with the lack of well-defined goals for the construction projects you are running? When objectives and goals are not clearly defined, you and your stakeholders will not be on the same page concerning the project’s direction. It is like going on a road trip with no destination in mind. You will waste fuel and time, ending up in the middle of nowhere.
To prevent anything like this from happening, you should be proactive in carrying out the plan, asking the right questions from your clients, and managing your team. Everyone has to be on the same page, all agreeing upon the objectives and goals right from the outset.
In this blog, we will share some tips on how you can handle unclear objectives and project goals.
Understand the Difference between Objectives and Goals
While objectives and goals are referred to interchangeably, it is crucial to point out some key differences to handle each carefully. The objective is a measurable step you should take to accomplish a strategy. On the other hand, a goal is a broad primary outcome or the destination. Always think of your objectives as your project’s road map with specific tasks that should necessarily be completed to reach your goals.
- Goals are your project’s destination. They mainly relate to the broad project aspirations and determine the destination of your project. In other words, it is what the project accomplishes and what is the desired outcome. The projects might have more than one goal, and there are a lot of objectives for every goal.
- Objectives are your project’s road map. The objectives define supporting actions to make sure much broader goals are accomplished. Objectives become your action plan or your high-level road map. They are your specific tasks and steps to be completed to reach your goals.
Compared to goals, objectives are particularly crucial to your project success, especially in a construction company like yours that has shifting priorities now and then. Below are the two reasons why:
- Having clear objectives can de-stress your construction team and increase their productivity. Suppose you found your crew members procrastinating while the project is ongoing. In that case, it is because they didn’t see the clear picture and the thought of this can always be overpowering and debilitating. You never want that right? So, you should pay attention to your objectives and communicate them clearly to your team.
- Objectives, particularly when grouped in each project phase, allow for a much clearer review. When one phase is already completed, you can review the project to ensure it is still aligned with initial project goals within budget and scope. This will also be an excellent opportunity for you to reassess the project and make some adjustments if necessary.
When it comes to changes and adjustments to your goals and objectives, they can be easier to manage and control if you deploy construction scheduling software. With this construction tech, you can track every change and even update your crew, preventing the possibility of inconsistencies and related issues.
Create Clear Objectives and Goals that Work with SMART
When setting goals and objectives for your construction projects, use the SMART outline.
- S – Specific (Clearly understood and well-defined)
- M – Measurable (Measure the result of your goals and objectives and determine when they are being accomplished)
- A – Achievable (You must have the resources and time to accomplish your project goals and objectives fully)
- R – Realistic (Objectives and goals should fit within your broader project and become a reasonable way of proceeding. For example, the project goal might be achievable but not enough if it is not aligned with your goals.
- T – Time-bound (Objectives and goals should have a deadline. Otherwise, they can be continually delayed, deferred, or defined, and perhaps all three!
SMART stands for the five characteristics your project goals must have to become effective. When defining your objectives and goals, always keep in mind to be set up for success.
Tips for Handling Unclear Goals and Objectives in Your Projects
Again, a lack of well-defined objectives and unclear goals are the number one reason why your project fails. You can’t predict every unforeseen event that shows up along the way, but having a concrete plan from the very start can keep things from completely derailing. Here are some tips for handling uncertain objectives and goals in your projects.
1. Ask the right questions
Now that you already know you necessarily need to have both objectives and goals to complete your project successfully, it is time to learn how to determine them. You can easily do this by asking yourself some key questions:
- What: What are the real issues at the very core of your construction project? What deliverables do your stakeholders expect from this particular project?
- Why: Why are you considering this particular project? Why is this project crucial to your company?
- Who: Who will be involved in the project? Who has the stake in the outcomes?
- How: How do stakeholder’s goals differ? How are you and your stakeholders measure success? How are the objectives aligned to your company’s overall business strategy?
2. Try to get ahead of miscommunication and assumptions
Remove any assumptions about the project by communicating the objectives early on. If you want your project to succeed, you have to make sure your ideas of success are aligned between the team, management and stakeholders early on. Such conversations can be difficult, but if they are not tackled early on, they can cause trouble later on. You and your construction team may feel less likely receptive to outside feedback if you get it right after the work has been done rather than before.
The easiest solution to miscommunication is to connect everyone via a central hub. A subcontractor scheduling software like Pro Crew Schedule acts as a shared platform for you and your team members. Everyone will have easy and uninterrupted access to the important info related to the projects.
3. Map out a chain of communication
Create a communication scheme that your crew members can use to update each other on where the project is heading and when some changes are being made. This chain of communication should create accountability at each step of the project.
Building rules for the team discussion and project management for construction does not only help boost communication and set expectations for everybody on your team. It helps establish collaboration habits and overall direction that minimize future opportunities for conflict and confusion. Everybody knows what is expected of them on any given process and project.
4. Use construction software solutions
At its core, project management software is beneficial in every aspect of your business. It is an intelligent move to invest in these cloud-based solutions, especially when you are setting your next project goals and defining your objectives at the same time. Adopting this construction tech can be a great advantage because it can be integrated into your company’s existing processes and workflows.
Considering the complexities when managing construction projects, this construction management software is designed to make it easier for you and your team to coordinate plans, goals, resources, etc.
5. Establish clear deadlines and roles for every project member
The lack of clarity is the main contributor to project failure and struggles. How is your team expected to finish the tasks if they are unsure the work is theirs?
One way to counter is by defining clear objectives and implementing construction crew management, along with who they are assigned to, the deadline, and the scope of the work, in a platform where all your members can view and get updates on it. Everyone is expected to cooperate and contribute.
Setting Goals and Objectives Made Easy with Pro Crew Schedule
Clearly defining objectives and setting realistic goals equates to project success. However, you need to support them with a strategic action plan to achieve your goals. Also, make sure to communicate every single thing to your team. Always empower your crew members to go above and beyond with a cloud-based platform designed to match the needs of your construction team and adapt as these needs change.
Pro Crew Schedule, a construction scheduling software, makes it easier to capture, plan, manage, and track everything related to a project from anywhere, anytime. This construction software tool manages aspects like task assignments, workflows, team/resource allocation, punch lists, etc. Expect to get real-time visibility with your work and team.
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Key Takeaways
Taking the time early on to communicate goals and objectives will dramatically increase the chance that your project is completed successfully. Everyone on your team has to understand your project’s vision so that everybody is on the same page. Take note of that because this is what a good project manager does every day.
