BN2225 PORTFOLIO ENTRY

NAME: Hamza Hussain CANDIDATE/STUDENT NO: TEAM NAME: ndiGO SEMINAR GROUP NO: F3
Background

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During the first term of university the group was required to make a business plan for the second assignment. This required the group to work together as a team in order to complete the project by the deadline. To make the business plan more logical and professional it was necessary for the team to work together thus creating a flow in the discussion, within the business plan. As well as this, a 10% late penalty would be applied if the assignment were handed in late. Consequently placing more importance on the team to work towards a shared goal.
Action(s) Taken I had decided to carry out research into ways in which a team can be more focused in order to work together as a team. From the various approaches, the most suitable option I found was based on SMART goals. The most common representation represented SMART goals as: Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant and Timebound. (Rubin & Louis, 2002). I had decided to set SMART goals for the team to work towards, thus increasing the team performance and focus towards the completion of the business plan Further research showed stronger evidence of the impact of SMART goals. DuFour et al, (2010) write in their article that clear SMART goals help teams focus their collaborative efforts. I had formulated various SMART goals in connection with the business plan and as a team we decided to work towards our goals. Our main goal was to have the business plan completed and handed in a day before the deadline to prevent a late penalty. Outcome As a result of having goals to work towards the team was able to focus their efforts towards these goals. Each member had a coordinated approach when completing their individual tasks, as they would target these SMART goals. The team was motivated to reach the goals and achieve a high grade for the business plan. As a team each goal being reached led to the team being able to reach our main target of handing the work a day before the deadline. Subsequently, the group handed the work in a day early; we had received 73% for our Business Plan.

Learning I have learned the importance of setting goals in order to improve the overall performance of a team. By setting goals individuals within a team will be motivated towards the achievement of the goals as a result improving the team performance. In addition to this I have learnt the importance of setting SMART goals. If goals are set but they are not achievable then this can be demotivating for the team when goals are not met. Further Development For future developments I will study how SMART goals have successfully been implemented in the past by certain organisations. I will then learn from these examples how goals are set and how the organisations successfully implement SMART goals in order to improve organisational performance. References DuFour, R., DuFour, R., Eaker, R., & Many, T. (2010). Learning by Doing: A Handbook for Professional Learning Communities at Work. 2nd ed. London: Solution Tree Press. p2-42. Rubin, R. (2002). Will the Real SMART Goals Please Stand Up?. The IndustrialOrganizational Psychologist. 39 (4), p26-27.