A meaningful goal is one the employee understands, can influence and can see the point of. That sounds obvious, but most goals in small and growing businesses fail one of those tests: they are copied from last year, handed down without discussion, or measure something the employee cannot affect.
Start from the work, not the form
Before writing a goal, ask what the business needs from this role over the next period. Goals that start from the form tend to be generic: 'improve communication', 'increase efficiency'. Goals that start from the work are specific: 'cut the time to close attendance for the month from five days to three', or 'complete the hiring plan for the Pune branch by the end of the quarter'.
Choose few goals, and make them different in kind
Three to five goals is usually enough. More than that and people choose their own priorities, which defeats the purpose. A useful mix includes:
- A results goal: something that should be different in the business.
- An improvement goal: a process, quality or reliability gain in the person's own area.
- A development goal: a skill or responsibility the person is working to build.
Check each goal against five questions
- 1
Can the employee influence it?
If the result depends mostly on others, the goal needs to be reworded to what the employee controls, such as the actions they take.
- 2
Can it be checked?
Someone other than the employee should be able to tell whether it happened, without arguing about it.
- 3
Is it clear what 'done' looks like?
Include the outcome and the date. 'Better onboarding' is not a goal. 'Every new joiner has a completed first-week checklist by day five' is.
- 4
Does it connect to something the business cares about?
The employee should be able to say why it matters, in one sentence.
- 5
Is it realistic in the time and with the resources available?
A goal set beyond the available time or support teaches people that goals are not serious.
For measures that can mislead, see KPIs that measure the wrong thing.
Set them together
Draft the goals before the conversation, but treat them as a draft. Ask the employee what they would change, what could get in the way and what support they need. People commit more readily to a goal they have shaped. Agree the final wording and put it in writing.
Keep goals alive during the period
A goal set in April and looked at in March is a form, not a goal. Hold a short check-in each month or quarter: what has moved, what has changed and whether the goal still makes sense. If priorities shift, change the goal and write down the change. Being judged on a goal that stopped mattering mid-year is a common source of frustration.
What to avoid
- Goals copied across a whole team without discussion.
- Goals that can only be achieved by someone else.
- Goals so soft that anyone can claim them, or so hard that no one believes in them.
- Changing goals silently and judging on the old ones.
Once goals are agreed, make sure the expectations around them are written down too, so the review has something to refer to.
