Goals

Create a Common Definition

"Goal" is one of those words that has different definitions for different people. Make sure that you and your team have a common definition or you could face problems when creating your goals. 

At Mission Met, we define a goal as a specific and measurable desired achievement. Although could certainly take several years to accomplish, we focus on goals that take several weeks to no more than a year to accomplish. Further, a goal should have a topic, a due date, at least one champion, and often at least one key team member. 

The following table provides examples of statements that are and are not goals.

Note that the items on the left in the table may be priorities but they aren't goals. 

Process and Results Goals

There are two different types of goals: process goals and results goals. 

Process Goal -- A specific and measurable process. An example of this type of goal is: STAFF ENGAGEMENT: Document and implement a staff performance management system. 

Results Goal -- A specific and measurable result. An example of this type of goal is: STAFF ENGAGEMENT: Average at least 8.5 on annual staff engagement survey.

We’ve found that small organizations, in particular, can actually get better results when they use process goals as opposed to only results goals. Most plans have a mix of both types.