Specific goals give direction, focus efforts, and boost persistence. Teams with specific and challenging goals outperform those with vague or simple ones. 90% of the time, setting goals can make a huge difference in employee motivation and success. But how do you keep the process engaging and effective? In this blog, we’ll explore the 8 best goal-setting activities and exercises for employees and corporate teams.
8 Best Goal-Setting Activities for Corporate Employees
From collaborative games to personal challenges, these 8 strategies will make your team a pro in setting clear goals in no time.
- Winning Lottery Ticket Goal Setting Activity
The Winning Lottery Ticket is a fun corporate training activity designed to boost team collaboration and goal-setting skills. Start by having all employees sit in a circle and ask them to imagine winning $20M in the lottery. In this activity, ask employees what they would do with that money. Would they spend it all or save some? What would be their top priorities?
After five minutes, surprise them with a twist: the prize has now dropped to $10 million. Ask them how would they adjust their plans and priorities. Then, take it a step further. Tell them the amount has shrunk to $5 million and ask them the same questions. This group goal-setting activity is helpful for employees to discover core values and priorities.
2. Standing Ovation Activity
Ask each group member to think of a professional goal that aligns with the organization’s objectives. One by one, ask participants to close their eyes and imagine they’ve achieved their goal. Ask them to picture themselves being praised in front of a crowd. Ask them to include as many details as possible to feel it vividly.
Afterward, have them open their eyes and write down their goals, along with the steps they’ll take to reach them. Give them 10 minutes to jot down the actions that led to that standing ovation.
In this goal-setting activity, team members set goals by working backward. By starting with the ultimate goal and then identifying the smaller steps that lead up to it, participants can pinpoint the key milestones to focus on first.
3. One, Some, Many
You will need some basic supplies for this – paper, markers, a whiteboard, and sticky notes. You will give sticky notes to each person and ask them to write down 3 personal goals. Then, form pairs or small groups to discuss these goals. Encourage them to combine any similar or matching objectives into new ones.
After that, bring all the groups together to write their common objectives on the board. Once everyone’s done, ask the team to work together to organize these. This group goal-setting activity is a fantastic icebreaker for workplaces. It teaches participants how to identify common objectives and work together to achieve them, even when their initial goals may be different.
4. Setting Legacy
This is a powerful goal-setting exercise for work. People are driven by emotions, and linking goals to an emotional purpose makes them more meaningful. By asking participants what legacy they want to leave behind, you encourage them to identify the key tasks they need to accomplish to feel like they have lived a life of purpose. This exercise can inspire participants to stay committed to their goals, even when motivation fades.
5. Ball in the Air
“Ball in the Air” is a fun and effective goal-setting game for employees. You will need a balloon or a ball. Divide all the employees into two or three smaller groups. Each group’s goal is to keep the ball in the air for as long as possible and no member can touch it more than once in a row.
Each side gets 2 minutes to strategize how to keep the ball from dropping. Each will then take turns trying to hit the ball, with 3 attempts per group. After each attempt, they can adjust their strategy to improve their score. The group with the most hits in a single attempt wins.
6. Accountability partners
Accountability partnerships are a great addition to your goal-setting workshop. Two or three people can team up to help each other with their goals through brainstorming sessions. They can discuss their challenges and how much they progressed by setting aside time every 1-2 times a week. Partners provide feedback and hold each other accountable for staying on track. These partnerships can be highly rewarding, adding an extra layer of encouragement.
7. SMART Goal-Setting Workshop
The workshop typically starts by explaining the SMART criteria for goal-setting. Break down each component in simple, easy-to-understand terms.
S – Specific
M – Measurable
A – Achievable
R – Relevant
T – Time-Bound
Next, provide employees with examples of both SMART and non-SMART goals and discuss why some of them meet the SMART criteria while others do not. This will help participants understand how to frame their goals effectively.
Divide them into small groups and assign each group a broad goal, such as “improve productivity.” All groups should break down their assigned goal into SMART components. This employee goal-setting activity will help them apply the SMART framework to real-world scenarios.
Next, call each group to present their SMART goals. This should be conducted along with a discussion about each group’s approach. This allows participants to learn from other’s approaches and refine their goal-setting skills.
Conclusion
Using goal-setting activities and games can really boost how your team handles their daily goals. These fun games make the process more engaging and help your team work better together. They also encourage accountability to keep everyone motivated. By making these activities a regular part of your routine, you can help your employees stay focused. Corporate training programs most of the time include goal-setting workshops for employees to help you with this. EducationNest is one such platform offering corporate training with a variety of courses suited to your needs at affordable prices. Our expert-led courses ensure you get a high return on investment for every buck!
