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

You can also mark a goal as complete directly from the check-in dialog — tick the Mark as complete checkbox before submitting, and the check-in and the close happen in one step. 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