Summary: Managers who set clear, inspiring goals fuel engagement, alignment, and performance across their teams. Research shows employees who set goals are 14.2x more likely to feel inspired at work, yet 92% of goals fail due to poor design. Use these tools and frameworks to help managers craft measurable, motivating goals that actually stick.
While we all recognize the importance of goals, did you know employees who set them are 14.2 times more likely to find inspiration at work? And according to Gallup, inspired employees kick it up a notch in productivity and performance.
It’s time to give your managers the training on goals they need! Let’s launch into the new year with a few tools you can use to help your leaders crush goal-setting this year.
Why effective goal setting for managers matters
Science shows that 92 percent of people who set goals fail to achieve them. Wait, what?
Yep, however, successful goal-getters know it’s all about how you craft them. Psychologists Edwin Locke and Gary Latham say setting specific and challenging goals boosts success rates – like 90 percent! Well-crafted goals catalyze heightened motivation, effort, persistence, alignment, and engagement.
On the flip side, unclear goals can throw off your team dynamics, tanking motivation, dampening engagement, skewing perceptions of fairness, and even triggering unethical behavior and conflicts. Suddenly, that time investment feels more like a letdown.
So, how can you help set clear, productive goals for managers? Check out these exclusive insights from our High Impact Goal Setting mini-workshop
How to set goals for managers that stick
Step 1: Get clear on goal levels
In your organization, three tiers of goals are always in play – the overarching organizational purpose and objectives, the team’s collective purpose, and the specific goals and objectives for the team. Deblurring these levels is the key to achieving goal clarity and ensuring everyone is on the same page.
All three levels are critical for enhancing morale, nurturing engagement, and promoting clarity. According to Gartner, aligning employee goals with both organizational and individual needs can result in a 22% increase in employee performance.
PRO TIP: Link up! Consider and communicate how your goals and tasks align with organizational objectives. When you tie your activities to the broader purpose of your team and the entire org, you open the door to impactful communication. This link gains extra sway when conveying the value of investing in learning and development (L&D) to executives. Align your goals up the chain to set the stage for results that pack a punch!
Step 2: Create a sense of shared purpose
A purpose statement isn’t just fluff; it’s a potent driver of business success. Research reveals that purpose-driven companies boast a 40% higher employee retention rate and a 30% uptick in innovation. A high-performing team starts with a killer purpose statement. It ensures:
- Everyone gets what their work is all about.
- Goals are clear and easy to measure.
- Goals and tasks link to the org’s big picture.
Keeping a clear purpose can be tough as organizations grow, leading to declining motivation or “strategic drift” – committing to goals that don’t align with the team’s real purpose. This is why tying team purpose statements to the overall organizational vision is so important.
TOOL – 3D Check
Take your purpose statement from two-dimensional to three-dimensional by answering these 3 questions:
- DO – What does the team do?
- DREAM – Why do we do it?
- DELIVER – Who do we do it for? (internal or external)
Craft purpose statements with these three components for maximum impact and motivation. Keep it short and sweet for lasting memorability!
Step 3: Help managers set measurable objectives
The foundation of setting effective goals is defining measurable objectives. In short, they outline the end result. Measurable objectives answer questions like:
- What are we trying to achieve?
- What metrics show we’ve hit our goal?
For example, a measurable objective could be to Increase sales by 5% by the end of this quarter.
TOOL – A4 Template
Download our goal-setting template to assist managers in strategic goal-setting. This simple project plan fits on a single sheet of A4-sized paper, hence the name A4. Share it with your managers to boost their goal-setting game. It sparks crucial conversations and helps folks steer clear of misalignment pitfalls.
(According to the Dominican University of California, physically writing down goals boosts success rates by 42%!)
TOOL – Done Well Check
Ensure your measurable objectives pass the Done Well Check — a handy tool that helps get everyone on the same page. To understand how it works, imagine a friend asked you to make them a burger (Mmm…), but despite your efforts to get the ingredients and make them a masterpiece, they say, “That’s not the burger I wanted!” No one is satisfied. This is what commonly happens with goals, where misalignment surfaces too late.
To prevent this, do a Done Well Check and uncover assumptions about success among key stakeholders from the get-go. Ask: “What specific results would indicate successful goal execution?” Then, work these expectations into your objectives and deliverables. You’ll ensure your project (or goal, or burger) is done well!
Step 4: Use lead indicators to track progress
For managers to ace goal-setting, they need to be ready to adapt goals to the ever-changing workplace. Think of lead indicators as checkpoints on your journey toward a goal – metrics or data points that signal you’re on the right path. They tackle questions like:
- Are we making progress?
- Is our strategy spot-on?
- Do we need to adjust course?
For example, if you have a goal to hire five new employees by Q2, a lead indicator of success would be 15 interviews scheduled by March 1st.
Lead indicators guide you on when to pause or tweak a goal.
TOOL – Business Priority Score (BPS)
This nifty tool helps managers assess the importance of various projects and aids in setting priorities. BPS makes it easier to negotiate priorities and prevents wasted time on project debates. It also allows you to compare and adjust goals, guiding informed decisions on which goals to move forward with and what resources to use. Remember, as things change, review and update the BPS to ensure its ongoing relevance.
Watch the BPS in action:
Use this toolkit as your go-to resource for how to help managers with goal-setting and achieving. From aligning goals with team and organizational purposes to defining measurable objectives and tracking lead indicators, get ready for a remarkable boost in engagement and performance.
Get more expert insights on goal setting for managers! LifeLabs Learning offers a 2-hour High Impact Goal Setting workshop! Learn more by chatting with one of our Program Consultants.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why do managers struggle with goal setting?
Most managers are promoted for performance as individual contributors, not their ability to lead through goals. Without training, goals often end up vague, misaligned, or unrealistic. Structured tools like the A4 Template and Done Well Check help prevent this.
What are the benefits of setting goals at work?
Clear, well-designed goals increase engagement, performance, and retention. Research shows purpose-driven companies see 40% higher retention and employees with aligned goals are 22% more productive.
How do you help managers set measurable goals?
Encourage managers to use frameworks like SMART goals or the Done Well Check. Measurable goals specify outcomes and metrics—for example, “Launch a new onboarding program with 90% satisfaction scores by Q3.”
What’s the difference between lagging and leading indicators?
Lagging indicators show whether goals were achieved (e.g., sales closed), while leading indicators show early progress (e.g., number of client demos booked). Tracking both helps managers course-correct in real time.
What tools can managers use for better goal setting?
LifeLabs Learning provides an A4 goal-setting template, the Business Priority Score tool, and interactive workshops. These tools make goals easier to design, track, and communicate.
