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Creating and Updating Goals

Goals work best when they’re clear, measurable, and regularly updated. Here’s how to create and maintain goals in Topicflow.

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Creating a goal

To create a goal:

1. Go to Goals and click “New Goal”
2. Write a clear description of what you’re trying to achieve
3. Set a timeframe (typically quarterly or annual)
4. Optionally add key results for measurable outcomes
5. Assign the goal to yourself or a direct report
6. Connect it to a parent goal if it’s part of a larger objective

What makes a good goal description Clear goals are:

• Specific: “Launch the redesigned checkout flow” not “Improve the product”
• Measurable: Include numbers or concrete outcomes when possible
• Achievable: Stretch goals are good, but impossible goals create frustration
• Relevant: Tied to actual team or company priorities
• Time-bound: Associated with a specific quarter or timeframe

Examples of well-written goals

• “Reduce average customer response time from 4 hours to 2 hours by end of Q2”
• “Ship the new API v3 with documentation and migration guide by March 31”
• “Complete React and TypeScript training and apply to production codebase”
• “Conduct 10 user interviews and present findings to product team”

Examples of poorly-written goals

• “Be better at coding” (not specific or measurable)
• “Help the team” (too vague)
• “Increase revenue” (likely too broad for an individual goal)

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Adding key results

Key results make goals more measurable by defining specific outcomes: Goal: Improve customer satisfaction Key results:

• Increase NPS score from 45 to 55
• Reduce support ticket volume by 20%
• Achieve 90% satisfaction rating on post-interaction surveys

Key results aren’t required, but they help track progress and define success.

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Timeframes and deadlines

Most goals are:

• Quarterly: 3-month objectives tied to business planning cycles
• Annual: Longer-term goals that span multiple quarters
• Project-based: Tied to a specific initiative with a concrete end date

Setting realistic timeframes Consider:

• Dependencies on other teams or projects
• Capacity and competing priorities
• Whether the goal is cumulative (like “close $500K in deals”) or event-based (like “launch feature X”)

Timeframes should create urgency without being arbitrary.

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Updating goal progress

Goals should be updated regularly:

• Weekly or bi-weekly: For actively-worked goals
• During one-on-ones: As part of regular check-ins
• When something changes: Completion, blockers, or priority shifts

How to update progress

1. Open the goal
2. Update the progress percentage or status
3. Add a note about what’s changed
4. Create action items if needed to move forward

What to capture in progress notes

• What got done since the last update
• What’s blocked or at risk
• What’s next
• Whether the timeline or scope needs adjustment

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When to adjust goals

Goals aren’t set in stone. Adjust them when: Priorities change If company direction shifts, individual goals should align with new priorities. Scope becomes clear Sometimes a goal is too ambitious or too modest once work starts. Adjust accordingly. Dependencies fall through If a goal depends on another team’s work and that work gets deprioritized, the goal may need to change. Capacity changes If someone takes on a major new project or loses a team member, their goals may need adjusting. How to adjust a goal

1. Discuss the change in a one-on-one (if it’s a manager/report relationship)
2. Update the goal description, key results, or timeframe
3. Document why the change was made
4. Continue tracking the adjusted goal

Adjusting goals is not failure — it’s responsiveness.

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Archiving and completing goals

When a goal is achieved

1. Mark it as “Complete”
2. Add a final update noting what was accomplished
3. Reflect on what worked and what didn’t
4. Create new goals for the next period

Completed goals remain visible in performance reviews and goal history. When a goal is no longer relevant If a goal becomes obsolete (priorities shifted, project canceled, etc.):

1. Archive the goal
2. Document why it was archived
3. Don’t leave it as “incomplete” if it wasn’t actually a failure

Archiving preserves history without creating the appearance of underperformance.

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Best practices

Involve direct reports in goal setting Managers shouldn’t unilaterally assign goals. Collaborative goal-setting creates ownership. Align individual goals to team goals Individual goals should ladder up to team or company objectives. Review goals in one-on-ones Don’t wait until the end of the quarter. Discuss progress regularly. Don’t create too many goals 3-5 meaningful goals per quarter is better than 10 vague ones. Update progress, not just status A note about what’s happening is more useful than just changing “50%” to “60%”.

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What’s next