Goal Setting: Destination Without a Map
Why teams fail when leaders hand them a number but not a roadmap
I was in the middle of reviewing a planning document when a team member’s comment stopped me in my tracks:
“How can I plan out the journey if you don’t tell me our destination?”
He’d hit on a challenge that afflicts so many organizations.
Yes, goals are meant to cascade from the top down — CEO to COO to VPs to managers to teams. But the biggest place for breakdown isn’t in the middle layers; it’s right at the top.
Too many leaders think that saying “Let’s hit $X in revenue” is enough. Just plunk down a number and let the teams figure it out.
But does that really work? Or does that just make “hitting the number” the only thing that matters — no matter how it wrecks team morale, product quality, and customer trust along the way?
Why SMART Matters — and Why It’s Not Enough
Years ago, my colleague Cari Kozicki beat SMART goals into my head.
(SMART = Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound.)
It took a while, but it stuck: if the goal isn’t SMART, it won’t stick.
A revenue target can be SMART — but not if all you do is announce “Grow revenue by $X.” Boom! That doesn’t cut it.
Here’s how SMART actually looks:
Specific: Paint a clear picture of the outcome. Instead of “grow revenue,” say “increase annual revenue from Product X by 15%.”
Measurable: Make sure it’s linked to numbers you can track. “Fifteen percent growth” is a metric you can measure.
Achievable: It needs to be stretch, not fantasy. If last year’s revenue was $700K, $1M will move a team forward. $5M? Don’t make me laugh. No one will care about that one.
Relevant: Make sure it fits the big picture. Does this revenue goal serve the strategy, or thwart it?
Time-bound: Lay out the timeline. “Annual revenue” makes it clear enough, but quarterly checkpoints can add even more clarity.
SMART is a proven framework for operational clarity. But depending on context, other models can also help.
OKRs (Objectives and Key Results): for ambitious stretch goals.
FAST goals (Frequently discussed, Ambitious, Specific, Transparent): for agility and transparency.
The acronym matters less than the discipline: building goals that are clear, aligned, and measurable.
A Roadmap for Setting Goals That Stick
If you’re struggling with where to start, here’s a simple roadmap I’ve used both on my own and with teams:
Start with the Why. Get clear on purpose. Before you go any further, answer “Why” so it’s clear for both you and the team.
Define the Destination. Once the “why” is clear, write out the goal. Do it in SMART, OKR, or FAST form. Whatever you use, be specific enough that no one has to guess.
Map the Milestones. Break the goal into 2–3 checkpoints. Don’t give them the goal weight of a boulder; give them the goal size of a pebble. That way, the journey will feel achievable, not overwhelming.
Assign Ownership. Assign a responsible person for each major step. There’s nothing like fuzzy lines of ownership for good goals to go to die.
Review & Adjust. Set a schedule for regular check-ins. A goal that you only review in the year-end retrospective is basically a wish.
The Balance Between Now and Next
The Persimmon Group, a consulting and learning organization, lays out why this matters:
“Most teams gravitate toward one extreme or the other: either focusing exclusively on quarterly objectives or setting grand visions without clear pathways for accomplishing them… This imbalance creates predictable problems. Teams become masters of the urgent while neglecting the important. Conversely, distant goals without proximal targets often feel abstract and fail to drive immediate action.”
The job of a manager isn’t just to point the direction; it’s to be the sherpa — guiding your team through the journey, equipping them with the tools and support they need.
Because without that, your team won’t just miss the destination.
They’ll lose faith in the journey.
What’s the best “map” you’ve ever been given by a leader, or the worst one you’ve had to draw for yourself? Share your story.
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