Setting Objectives and Targets

Tip:
Now that you have agreed to meet with your team to work on a specific important and urgent project, you need to set objectives and targets that help you measure its progress.

• Define the purpose.
  (i.e. your planning meeting will help you define what you are going to do, how long it will take, what resources you will need, and how much everything will cost)
• Define the objectives.
  All objectives are measurable with an indicator that asks “how will we know we have achieved this objective?â€
  (i.e. one of your objectives is to ensure participants will walk away from the institute knowing how to create or adapt a standards-based lesson that meets their curriculum. The indicators will be the lessons.)
• Set targets and priorities for each objective.
  (i.e. the focus is on curriculum not technology, but you need to teach technology skills. Your team needs to determine the project emphasis and set which is the most important.)
• Assess any obstacles or constraints.
  (i.e. you only have three days to accomplish your objectives and realize you have limited resources.)
• List activities and determine who is responsible for which activities.
  (i.e. survey participants on technology proficiency before institute.)
• Plan and agree on dates to complete the activities.
• Determine the budget.
  (i.e. if you expect each teacher to use a certain program, determine if you will be purchasing the program and if you can afford it. If not, determine if you expect your participants to already have the program and bring their own computers.)

There are several of you who work independently and do all of these activities alone. You can use the same process. Sometimes it is a good idea to ask a colleague for input to make sure you did not leave anything out. I found that I am more efficient as part of a team than when I used to work by myself.

Submitted by:Barbara Bray