Defining project management goals: general overview

Goals in general are high-level, long-term statements that provide crude direction and overall context, and define the destination that you want to reach. Ditto for project management goals, but through the lens of what the project is trying to achieve. Such goals should align to business goals, as any project within a company has to, in one way or another, help the business reach its overarching targets.

Project management goals are relatively more important than objectives from a business perspective. They help managers understand the business’ priorities that their projects are expected to contribute to.

Key facts about project management goals

Key facts about project management goals

Here are some facts to keep in mind when setting project management goals:

Goals being at a high-level means that they can take more than one project to achieve (and a respectively long time). For instance, a goal “increase customer satisfaction levels” may rely on a number of technology and procedure components (employing new customer service apps, adding training classes, reorganizing the support department, changing the company rewards system, etc.) Each of these components is, essentially, a project of its own.
Goals should imply some sort of business benefit, be it in terms of quality, cost, speed, etc. A project might not directly support the business, as long as there’s at least an indirect tie. Example: installing new web servers as part of an IT infrastructure project may ultimately result in a better customer experience. However, there must be at least some business value about the project, or else it should not even be started in the first place.
Most often, goals are non-measurable. Measurable achievements are generally too low in level, and should probably be described as an objective rather than a goal. For further reading, check out our article on the difference between goals and objectives.
Even though goals should be written at a high level, it should not be so high as to render them unachievable. For instance, whereas improving customer experience is achievable, striving for a perfect customer experience is not. The latter would work better as a company’s vision or mission statement (as an aspiration and direction, but not something to actually be achieved). Make sure your goals are achievable, so as not to lead your goal project management to a dead end.

Defining project management objectives: general overview

Compared to project management goals, objectives are statements of a lower level. They describe the specifics - what exactly you’re intending to do, and how, in order to meet your goals. In the context of project management, objectives can describe tangible products, deliverables, or service that the project will deliver. Such objectives should always be connected to specific PM goals - your company shouldn’t develop projects for the sake of developing them.

Defining project management objectives

Project management objectives describe results: tangible, specific deliverables that the project produces. If you can’t say what the deliverables of an objective are, the objective is likely too high-level. By the same token, an objective can be written at too low a level, when it describes the deliverables’ characteristics, functions, or features.

PM objectives are described using metrics and KPIs (product quality, budget, how long it takes to finish, etc.) Tracking progress towards an objective is usually done via a project dashboard, as available in many project planning and management applications, such as KeepSolid Goals. They allow to streamline and organize the process, reducing the pressure on project managers and risk of human error. What’s more, using dedicated tools increases your chances to achieve success in the market and makes the goal project management process more efficient.

SMART project management objectives

The best way to set project management objectives is by using the SMART approach. According to it, an objective should be:

Specific - well defined and clearly understood.
Measurable - the result of your objective can be measured, so it will be clear when it has been accomplished.
Achievable - considering the resources and the time that your team has available, it should be possible to accomplish your PM objective.
Realistic - objectives must be a reasonable way of proceeding, fit within the broader project.
Time-bound - project management objectives must have a concrete deadline to avoid constant delays.

Project management goals and objectives definition in different frameworks

Various business frameworks see goals and objectives as different things. In the MBO framework, a goal is presented as the desired result an organization is trying to achieve. And an objective is a milestone or subgoal that moves your business towards your goal.

In the OKR framework, goals and objectives are synonymous. They are described as a single general, non-specific target of a business. North Star and Balanced Scorecard frameworks echo this too.

For more information about how goals and objectives are presented in different frameworks check out this article.

Whether the framework you are using, project planning and management app is a big part of success. Let’s consider why KeepSolid Goals is your perfect choice to make your project management goals and objectives happen.

How KeepSolid Goals helps achieve project management goals and objectives

Having project management goals and objectives is important. But having proper tools that will help you reach those is vital. And if you decide you’ll be using project planning and management tools anyway, it’s always better to use a single sophisticated solution than a bunch of smaller ones. If you agree, then KeepSolid Goals is just the software you need to set and organize your goals and objectives, and actually get to completing them successfully.

How Goals by KeepSolid helps achieve project management goals and objectives

KeepSolid Goals provides a number of compelling features for:

Project Management Goals and Objectives - Setting, Tips, and Tools