> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.topicflow.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Goals

> Set, track, and align objectives across individuals and teams

# Goals

Goals in Topicflow provide clarity about what matters, track progress over time, and create alignment between individual work and team priorities.

## What goals are

A goal in Topicflow is a measurable objective with:

* **A clear description** of what you're trying to achieve
* **An owner** (the person responsible)
* **A timeframe** (typically quarter or year)
* **Progress tracking** (percentage complete or key milestones)
* **Optional key results** for measurable outcomes
* **Connections** to related goals, action items, or projects

Goals can be individual (owned by one person) or team-level (owned by a manager for their team).

## Why goals matter

Goals provide direction and focus:

* **For individuals**: Clarity on what success looks like
* **For managers**: Visibility into what their team is working toward
* **For organizations**: Alignment across teams

Without goals, performance reviews become subjective. With goals, there's a shared understanding of what was expected and what was achieved.

## How goals work in Topicflow

**Goal creation**
Goals can be created:

* By individuals for their own work
* By managers for their direct reports
* As shared goals for a team
* Cascaded from higher-level organizational objectives

**Goal tracking**
Throughout the goal period, you can:

* Update progress (percentage or status)
* Add notes about what's working or what's blocked
* Create action items to move the goal forward
* Adjust the goal if priorities change

**Goal review**
Goals surface in:

* One-on-one meetings (especially when stale or off-track)
* Performance reviews (to evaluate execution)
* Topicflow AI prompts (to suggest topics or summarize progress)

**Goal completion**
When a goal is achieved:

* Mark it as complete
* Reflect on what worked (or didn't)
* Set new goals for the next period

## Types of goals

**Individual goals**
Focused on what one person will accomplish:

* "Ship the new analytics dashboard by end of Q1"
* "Complete leadership training and apply learnings"
* "Improve code review turnaround time to under 24 hours"

**Team goals**
Owned by a manager for their team:

* "Reduce customer support response time by 20%"
* "Launch two major product features this quarter"
* "Hire three engineers by end of Q2"

**Cascading goals**
Higher-level goals that connect to team or individual goals:

* Company goal: "Increase revenue by 30%"
* Sales team goal: "Close \$5M in new business"
* Individual goal: "Reach 120% of quota"

Cascading goals create alignment across the organization.

## How goals connect to the rest of Topicflow

**Goals and meetings**
Goals are discussed in one-on-ones:

* Review progress
* Identify blockers
* Adjust if priorities shift
* Celebrate when achieved

Stale or off-track goals automatically surface in meeting agendas.

**Goals and action items**
Action items can be linked to goals, showing the specific tasks needed to make progress. When action items are completed, the goal moves forward.

**Goals and reviews**
Performance reviews often include goal-based assessment questions:

* "Did this person achieve their goals?"
* "How well did they execute?"
* "Were goals adjusted appropriately when priorities changed?"

Goals provide objective criteria for performance evaluation.

**Goals and AI**
Topicflow AI can help:

* Draft goals based on role or recent work
* Suggest action items to move a goal forward
* Identify stale or off-track goals
* Summarize goal progress for reviews

## What's next

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Creating and updating goals" icon="pen" href="/goals/creating-and-updating-goals">
    Learn how to set and manage goals
  </Card>

  <Card title="Tracking progress" icon="chart-line" href="/goals/tracking-progress">
    Update and monitor goal progress
  </Card>

  <Card title="Stale and off-track goals" icon="triangle-exclamation" href="/goals/stale-and-off-track-goals">
    Identify and address goals that need attention
  </Card>

  <Card title="How goals connect to feedback and reviews" icon="link" href="/goals/how-goals-connect-to-feedback-and-reviews">
    See how goals tie into performance management
  </Card>
</CardGroup>