The Value of a Goal Management Solution

In this section, we'll be talking about the value of a Goal Management solution for your organization. Please review all the following sections carefully. Each of the chapters are broken down into separate articles, which are linked in the table of contents below.

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However, only 20% of employees have visibility into team and corporate goals — meaning 80% of employees can’t effectively align their work to broader business goals. Because of this, employee performance, productivity, and engagement suffers.

With a transparent, cascading goals program, employees have visibility into organizational goals and can see how their work directly impacts them. Goal transparency also drives empathy across teams — knowing the priorities of other teams removes friction during cross-team collaboration. Additionally, having goals documented and available in employees’ favorite apps drives a higher likelihood of completion.

One of the biggest beneficiaries of a dynamic goal management program is managers. With managers stretched thinner than ever, it’s challenging for them to have visibility into what their employees are doing — and whether their tasks are supporting company-wide initiatives. The ability to view goals and progress for their direct reports drives improved alignment. Managers can act more quickly if they see employees are working on low-priority tasks, and they can ensure that direct reports work on higher-value projects instead. Goal visibility also fosters improved professional relationships between managers and their employees — they enable them to have open, honest conversations on how their work impacts company success and additional projects that drive value for the organization and the employee.

Individual contributors are much more likely than managers to lack visibility into team and corporate goals. They are almost 100% more likely than managers to disagree that they understand how their work impacts the org’s business goals. However, 69% of employees agree that company-wide goal alignment is paramount to their success. Clearly there is a disconnect between the visibility that employees have, and what they need to be successful in their roles.

However, when workers are engaged with their goal management program, there are huge benefits for their organization. Those who like their processes for goal-setting are:

• 3X more likely to recommend their company as a great place to work
• 2.1X more likely to tell friends that their company has great products or services
• 2.4X more likely to work at their company 2 years from now
• 2.9X more likely to work harder than they have at past companies
• 1.4X more likely to agree that what they work on at their company matters

Similarly, goal visibility drives positive outcomes for teams. Those with visibility into other teams’ goals are much more effective at partnering cross-functionally. They are:

• 81% more likely to agree that there is good alignment between their team and other teams
• 181% more likely to feel excited when they learn about a new team project
• 136% more likely to prefer working on a team versus working on their own

Given the growing prevalence of teamwork in corporate environments, equipping teams with tools to build transparency and communication increases their likelihood of success.

For all of the aforementioned reasons, goal transparency and alignment has a meaningful impact on a company’s success. When employees have a goal program that meets their needs, they’re more likely to stay at the company and work harder. Based on research from Sven Asmus, Chair of Corporate Management at Technische Universität München, goal-setting improves worker performance by 12% - 15%.

When teams can view the goals of other teams, they feel more aligned and excited about cross-functional collaboration. Employees can also better execute their projects when they have a clear idea of what success looks like. Building out the right goals program for your employee population can clearly drive real, tangible results and shape the trajectory of your organization.