Starting a project with a new team and a new client can be challenging. Everyone is dedicated to understanding the problem space and the project needs. At the same time, we’re learning how to work with each other, sometimes for the first time.
We’ve found 4 questions that bring the team together in alignment and offer ideas to check in with one another on personal goals:
- What personal milestones do you want to achieve?
- What could we accomplish as a team?
- What does success look like for the project?
- How might we positively impact the company?
How to Facilitate
Facilitate this activity as a group with all team members present. Provide 5 minutes for each person to think about their goals and capture them on post-its. Offer a few minutes per person to share them out with the group. Pair this with the affinity mapping activity to identify patterns or themes.
Each question builds alignment for the value we’re creating for our users and the business but also takes into consideration the experience of making the software and building relationships among team members.
Our teams have put these up on the whiteboard to keep them visible reminders. These ideas and goals can be used to check in with the team every so often to identify if things are getting off track and/or celebrate the achievements so far.
The results are inspiring! It’s powerful to see the opportunities our work can provide when we listen to our team members and see the project from their perspective. This activity also gives the team some common language to talk about what is exciting, important, or ambitious about the work ahead.