Goal setting and performance management often carry a bad reputation – viewed as tedious by employees and as an administrative burden by leaders. But when done right, goal setting becomes a powerful tool that benefits employees, leaders and organizations, creating clarity, alignment, and opportunities for growth.
Why Goal Setting Matters
For Employees
Clear goals provide employees with a roadmap to success. When individuals understand what they need to achieve, how to achieve it, and by when, they are better equipped to contribute meaningfully. Performance conversations tied to goals also create space for feedback, coaching, and development, strengthening relationships between employees and their leaders.
For Organizations and Leaders
For organizations, goal setting ensures alignment with broader strategy, helping employees understand their role in its success. Leaders can better align individual and team efforts with organizational priorities, making performance management more effective. Clear expectations enable leaders to provide timely and constructive feedback, build trust, and foster strong team dynamics.
How to Set Effective Goals: The OMT Framework
When supporting clients in performance management, we prioritize best practices and simplicity—an overly complex process doesn’t help with adoption and engagement! We use the OMT framework—Outcome, Measurement, and Timeframe – as a streamlined alternative to SMART Goals. This approach makes goal setting clear and actionable.
Outcome
The outcome defines what you aim to achieve. Strong outcome statements are:
- Specific and clearly articulated
- Challenging yet realistic
- Connected to the bigger picture
- Action-oriented, starting with a verb
Measurement
Measurement answers the question: “How will I know I’ve been successful?” Strong measures include:
- Qualitative Metrics – Assess how well the work is performed (e.g., accuracy, effectiveness, usefulness)
- Quantitative Metrics – Evaluate work output (e.g., raw numbers, percentages, productivity levels)
For some goals, measuring success may require creativity. For instance, client feedback surveys or peer reviews can provide valuable qualitative insights.
Timeframe
A clear deadline ensures alignment and accountability. Avoid vague timelines like “end of Q4”, which create ambiguity. Instead specify a concrete date, such as “September 1.”
A Goal in Action
Using, OMT, here’s an example of a well-structured goal. We encourage employees to share their goals and seek feedback as they start using this OMT approach. Getting input also helps brainstorm goals that are most relevant for their role, team and broader organization.
Enhance project management efficiency (outcome) by ensuring 90% of projects are delivered on time and within budget (quantitative measure), while maintaining stakeholder satisfaction ratings above 80% (qualitative measure) by June 31, 2025 (timeframe).
Success Starts with Clear Goals
At Royer Thompson, we view goal setting as more than just a corporate exercise – it’s a strategic tool that drives clarity, accountability and high performance. By setting well-defined goals today, individuals and organizations lay the foundation for tomorrow’s success.
Goal setting is just one piece of a strong performance management framework. Whether you need to upskill leaders in performance and development conversations, refine goal-setting practices, or enhance your organization’s overall performance management approach, we can help. Contact us to learn how we can work together to align people and performance for long-term success.