What a goal is
A goal names an outcome — not a task, not a project. "Reduce time to first response below four hours" is a goal. "Implement the new inbox" is a project that might contribute to it. Keeping those separate is most of the discipline.
Goals
Q2 2026
Why most goals fail as measurements
- No measure. "Improve onboarding" cannot be progressed against. If you cannot say what number moves, it is a theme.
- A measure nobody owns. A goal with no single owner is reported on by nobody.
- Progress updated by hand, monthly, from memory. Either derive it or accept that the number is a feeling.
- Too many. Four goals a quarter is ambitious. Twelve is a list of hopes.
Goals here are deliberately simple — an outcome, a measure, a target, a date, and the projects attached. There is no scoring framework and no cascade engine, because those tend to produce more administration than clarity.
What this does not do
A goal does not read a number out of Accounting or CRM. Progress is entered or derived from linked projects.
There is no confidence score, key-result weighting or grading.
You see the current state, not a trend of past updates.
Goals are per organisation, like everything else.
Questions
Can a goal have sub-goals?
One level — a company goal with team goals under it.
Does a goal close automatically?
No. Somebody closes it and says what happened.
Can a project contribute to two goals?
Yes.